automacy
|au-to-ma-cy|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑːtəməsi/
🇬🇧
/ˈɔːtəməsi/
state of being automatic / self-acting
Etymology
'automacy' originates from English, formed from 'automatic' + the noun-forming suffix '-acy', ultimately from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self'.
'automacy' was formed in modern English (19th–20th century) by analogy with words like 'privacy' and 'democracy', deriving from English 'automatic' which itself came into English via French/Latin from Greek 'autos' ('self').
Initially it referred simply to the condition of being self-acting or self-moving; over time it came to cover both mechanical/self-operating functions and the psychological sense of actions performed without conscious control.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or quality of being automatic; functioning or operating by itself with little or no conscious control.
The automacy of the factory's control systems reduced the need for constant human oversight.
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Noun 2
in psychology or skill learning: the performance of actions or tasks without conscious thought (habitual or reflex-like behavior).
After years of practice, many aspects of her performance reached automacy, freeing attention for higher-level decisions.
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Last updated: 2025/11/26 17:22