autopilot
noun
au·to·pi·lot
ˈȯ-tō-ˌpī-lət 
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
Butler told investigators that the car was on autopilot at the time of the crash, according to Terry Allbritton, the Harris County Constable for Precinct 5.
—
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
That showed up as a potential issue early on during the simulator runs, so NASA and Lockheed Martin tried to ensure that the autopilot systems could provide backup in case the aircraft didn’t handle well in flight.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
29 June 2026
This tier also includes a complete marketing automation suite, custom workflows, and lead nurturing (an autopilot that uses email drip campaigns).
—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
The crash in Pennsylvania came two days after a woman in Texas died when the driver of a Tesla, allegedly on autopilot, crashed into her home.
—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for autopilot
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Paloma Chavez,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
That showed up as a potential issue early on during the simulator runs, so NASA and Lockheed Martin tried to ensure that the autopilot systems could provide backup in case the aircraft didn’t handle well in flight.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
29 June 2026
This tier also includes a complete marketing automation suite, custom workflows, and lead nurturing (an autopilot that uses email drip campaigns).
—
Gabriel Zamora,
PC Magazine,
26 June 2026
The crash in Pennsylvania came two days after a woman in Texas died when the driver of a Tesla, allegedly on autopilot, crashed into her home.
—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for autopilot
Cite this Entry
“Autopilot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autopilot. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
