French word

automatisme

Pronunciation

IPA/otomatizm/

Meaning

  • masculine nounautomatic response

Example

En conduisant, freiner devient un automatisme.

When driving, braking becomes an automatic response.

Illustration for automatisme (automatic response)

More examples

Avec l'entraînement, saluer ses collègues devient un automatisme.

With practice, greeting your colleagues becomes automatic.

Core concept

A practiced action shifting from deliberate control to an automatic mental or bodily routine.

Common phrases

  • devenir un automatisme

    become automatic

  • réagir par automatisme

    react automatically

Similar words

habitude: A daily behavior or way of doing things acquired through repetition.
réflexe: An immediate, unconscious response to an outside stimulus.
routine: A regular sequence of daily actions or procedures.

Definition in French

Processus ou comportement réalisé sans contrôle conscient, souvent acquis par répétition, qui permet d'agir rapidement sans y réfléchir.

Word origin

The French noun automatisme developed from automate by adding -isme, a suffix that forms nouns for a quality, process, or system.

Usage tips

  • Habitude usually names a repeated habit, whereas automatisme highlights execution without conscious control.

Other meanings

  • reflexnoun
  • habitnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • automatiqueautomaticadjective
  • automatiserautomateverb
  • automatisationautomationnoun

Word lists with this word