Origin: Greek prefix auto-
Automate has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
make automatic or control or operate automatically
"automatize the production"
"automate the movement of the robot"
To replace or enhance human labor with machines.
"The factory decided to automate the assembly line by replacing manual workers with robotic arms."
In plain English: To automate something means to make it run by itself without needing people to do every step manually.
"The company decided to automate their customer service by hiring an AI chatbot."
Usage: This verb typically takes a direct object, as in "to automate the assembly line," rather than being used intransitively to mean that automation has occurred on its own. Avoid confusing it with nouns like "automation" when describing the specific action of implementing machinery.
Automate is a back-formation derived from the word automation. It was created by removing the suffix "-ion" to form a verb meaning to make something automatic.