autopilot
noun
au·to·pi·lot
| \ ˈȯ-tō-ˌpī-lət
\
\
Definition of autopilot
1
: a device for automatically steering ships, aircraft, and spacecraft
also
: the automatic control provided by such a device
Examples of autopilot in a Sentence
an airplane equipped with an autopilot
The plane was flying on autopilot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Aviators can't use autopilot in trying conditions that can range from thermals rising out of flaming forests to flying low through mountain ranges. — Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Firefighting planes and their crews spotlighted at EAA AirVenture," 27 July 2019 Without it, cars are limited to regular autopilot, which offers automatic steering on highways and adaptive cruise control. — Jon Porter, The Verge, "Elon Musk says free self-driving chip upgrade could come to older Teslas this year," 8 July 2019 The B-2s left the holding pattern and moved toward the camps at 35,000 feet, on autopilot, doing 480 miles an hour. — William Langewiesche, The Atlantic, "An Extraordinarily Expensive Way to Fight ISIS," 21 June 2018 This was less a special occasion than just another tour stop for a pop star on autopilot. — Kevin Williams, chicagotribune.com, "Lollapalooza 2019: Things we loved from day 4, but Ariana Grande was a pop star on autopilot," 4 Aug. 2019 This could provide false flight data including altitude and airspeed, as well as possible access to the autopilot system, potentially leaving a pilot unable to tell whether the reading was accurate and potentially lose control of the aircraft. — Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, "DHS issues hacking security alert for small planes," 30 July 2019 The alternatives to a deal are distasteful to both sides, and include freezing spending at current levels and operating most of the government essentially on autopilot under a measure known as a continuing resolution. — Washington Post, "Mnuchin says budget deal with Pelosi is ‘very close’," 15 July 2019 If the pilot does not (or is unable to) take corrective action the autopilot takes over and flies the plane onto a safe flight path. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The F-35 Is Getting a Life-Saving Autopilot Feature," 24 July 2019 In China, the world’s largest auto market, the man widely known as the father of the country’s electric-car industry recently voiced doubts about vehicles zipping around entirely on autopilot. — David Welchbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Don’t expect self-driving taxis anytime soon — GM delays Cruise robotaxi launch," 24 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'autopilot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for autopilot
autopilot
noun
English Language Learners Definition of autopilot
: a device that steers a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft in place of a person
See the full definition for autopilot in the English Language Learners Dictionary