autopilot

noun

au·​to·​pi·​lot ˈȯ-tō-ˌpī-lət How to pronounce autopilot (audio)
1
: a device for automatically steering ships, aircraft, and spacecraft
also : the automatic control provided by such a device
2
: automatic pilot sense 2

Examples of autopilot in a Sentence

an airplane equipped with an autopilot The plane was flying on autopilot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At some point, the brain's autopilot kicks in, and the parent ends up driving all the way to work without making the stop. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 The content remained identical, but attendance immediately became more engaged because employees could no longer operate on autopilot. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026 When the morning sequence stays the same each day, kids can follow the pattern almost on autopilot even when their nerves are running high. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 Someone who can still put it on autopilot, then execute while relying on that training. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for autopilot

Word History

Etymology

auto- + pilot entry 1, as shortening of automatic pilot

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of autopilot was in 1917

Rhymes for autopilot

See All Rhymes for autopilot

Browse Nearby Words

autophytography
autopilot
autopistol
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Autopilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autopilot. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on autopilot

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autopilot

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