1(of a device or process) working by itself with little or no direct human control:an automatic kettle that switches itself off when it boilscalibration is fully automatic
(of a firearm) self-loading and able to fire continuously until the ammunition is exhausted or the pressure on the trigger is released:automatic weapons
(of a motor vehicle or its transmission) using gears that change by themselves according to speed and acceleration:a four-speed automatic gearbox
2done or occurring spontaneously, without conscious thought or attention:automatic physical functions such as breathing‘Nice to meet you,’ he said, with automatic politeness
done or occurring as a matter of course and without debate:he is the automatic choice for the senior team
(especially of a legal sanction) given or imposed as a necessary and inevitable result of a fixed rule or particular set of circumstances:he received an automatic one-match suspension
noun
1a gun that continues firing until the ammunition is exhausted or the pressure on the trigger is released:the rapid fire of automatics
2a vehicle with automatic transmission:a Mercedes 300SL five-speed automatic
