automatic
automatic — adjective
1. Used to describe a machine, door, or system that runs by itself, so a person doe
Used to describe a machine, door, or system that runs by itself, so a person does not have to start each step or push buttons all the time.
The supermarket has automatic doors that slide open as Dilnoza walks toward them.
automatic + noun (door)
Eitan's new washing machine is fully automatic, so he just chooses a program and presses start.
fully automatic
The factory uses an automatic system to fill and seal each bottle of juice.
Sprinklers in the school garden are automatic and switch on every morning at six.
Mei prefers an automatic camera because it sets the focus and brightness for her.
- self-operating
more technical; common in product descriptions
- mechanized
stresses that a task once done by hand is now done by machines
- self-acting
formal, often in engineering contexts
- manual
the most common opposite — needs a person to operate it
文法句型
automatic + noun (machine, door, system)
用法筆記
Almost always sits before a noun (attributive). When the subject is the device itself, prefer 'is automatic' rather than describing the action.
常見錯誤
2. Used only of a car, gearbox, or transmission whose gears shift by themselves whi
Used only of a car, gearbox, or transmission whose gears shift by themselves while you drive, so you never push a clutch pedal or move a gear stick. Unlike sense 1 (any self-running machine), this sense is restricted to vehicles and is the everyday opposite of 'manual'.
Mateo passed his driving test in an automatic car last summer.
automatic car
Most rental cars at Los Angeles airport come with an automatic gearbox as standard.
automatic gearbox
Older drivers in our family prefer an automatic transmission for stop-and-go city traffic.
Zane finds it tiring to use a manual car in traffic, so his next vehicle will be automatic.
- self-shifting
technical; appears in product specifications
- manual
the driver changes gears with a clutch and gear stick
文法句型
automatic + noun (car, gearbox, transmission)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (any self-operating device): this sense is restricted to vehicles, gearboxes, and transmissions. Often contrasted with 'manual'.
常見錯誤
3. If a reaction or movement is automatic, you do it instantly without choosing to
If a reaction or movement is automatic, you do it instantly without choosing to or even noticing, often because of habit, training, or a body reflex.
When Hannah saw her niece grin in the stroller, smiling back was almost automatic.
almost automatic
After ten years driving a taxi in Taipei, checking the side mirror has become automatic for Zane.
become automatic
Pulling your hand back from a hot pan is an automatic response.
Lisa's apology sounded automatic, as if she had said it a hundred times before.
Soldiers train every day so that loading a rifle becomes a quick, automatic action.
- instinctive
felt deep inside, with no thought needed
- involuntary
stresses that you cannot stop the action, often a body reflex
- reflex
very fast, body-driven; usually about a physical reaction
- deliberate
done on purpose after thinking
- conscious
noticed and chosen by the person
文法句型
automatic + noun (response, reaction, reflex)
用法筆記
Frequently negative in tone when describing speech or emotion (e.g. an 'automatic apology' suggests it is empty). Distinguish from sense 1 (a machine): here the subject is a person's action, reaction, or feeling.
常見錯誤
4. An automatic result, right, or punishment is one that always follows when a cert
An automatic result, right, or punishment is one that always follows when a certain rule applies, with no extra decision or special request needed.
Gold members of the jazz club get an automatic 20% discount on every concert ticket.
automatic + noun (discount)
In Singapore, driving without a licence carries an automatic fine of two thousand dollars.
automatic fine / penalty
Winning the regional final gave Saint Mary's an automatic place in the national tournament.
Nurses at this hospital who have worked here for ten years receive an automatic pay rise of 5%.
Buying the printer does not give you an automatic right to free repairs.
- guaranteed
stresses that the result is promised and certain
- unconditional
with no terms or extra steps to meet
- discretionary
depends on someone's personal choice
- conditional
depends on meeting other rules first
文法句型
automatic + noun (right, entitlement, increase)
用法筆記
The result must follow strictly from a rule, contract, or normal procedure — not from luck or from someone choosing to grant it. Common with words like right, fine, place, increase, qualification.
常見錯誤
5. Used only of guns: one squeeze of the trigger releases a continuous stream of bu
Used only of guns: one squeeze of the trigger releases a continuous stream of bullets until the shooter lets go or the magazine empties. Unlike sense 1 (any self-running device), this sense is restricted to firearms and contrasts with semi-automatic (one bullet per trigger pull) and single-shot weapons.
Soldiers were carrying automatic rifles as they walked through the village.
automatic rifle
In Japan, owning an automatic weapon at home can lead to several years in prison.
automatic weapon
The thieves fired an automatic pistol into the air to scare the crowd.
Police found two automatic guns hidden under the floor of the warehouse.
- self-loading
technical synonym used in firearms manuals
- single-shot
fires only one bullet before reloading
文法句型
automatic + noun (rifle, weapon, pistol)
用法筆記
Used with 'rifle', 'weapon', 'pistol', 'gun'. The related noun (sense noun/2) refers to the gun itself.
automatic — noun
1. A car whose gears change by themselves, so the driver does not need to use a clu
A car whose gears change by themselves, so the driver does not need to use a clutch or shift gears by hand.
Mateo only knows how to drive an automatic, so the manual hire car was a problem.
drive + an automatic
We rented an automatic for the road trip across California.
rent + an automatic
Zane is selling his old manual and buying a small automatic next month.
An automatic costs about two thousand dollars more, but learners at our driving school find it easier to handle.
- automatic car
the full form; same meaning
- manual
a car whose gears the driver changes by hand
- stick shift
American informal for a manual car
文法句型
drive / buy / rent + an automatic
用法筆記
This noun is the short form of 'automatic car'. It is countable and takes 'a/an'. Common in everyday talk about driving and car rentals; matches adjective sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. A gun that goes on firing bullets one after another while you keep the trigger p
A gun that goes on firing bullets one after another while you keep the trigger pressed, stopping only when you let go or the bullets run out.
The detective found an automatic hidden inside the suspect's jacket.
an automatic (gun)
Two soldiers stood at the gate, each holding an automatic.
holding + an automatic
Police seized three automatics during the raid on the empty house.
The shop owner kept an automatic in the drawer for protection.
- automatic pistol
the full form when the gun is a handgun
- revolver
a handgun with a turning cylinder, not self-loading
文法句型
a / the + automatic
用法筆記
Short for 'automatic pistol' or 'automatic rifle'. Countable; plural is 'automatics'. Matches adjective sense 5.