mechanistic

adjective

mech·​a·​nis·​tic ˌme-kə-ˈni-stik How to pronounce mechanistic (audio)
1
: mechanically determined
2
: of or relating to a mechanism or the doctrine of mechanism
3
: mechanical
mechanistically
ˌme-kə-ˈni-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce mechanistic (audio)
adverb

Examples of mechanistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Perhaps the notion appealed to nineteenth-century tastes for cuckoo clocks and ideas about mechanistic, orderly nature. — Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026 But mechanistic accounts, which leave no room for human agency, have gone out of fashion, and so Beckert distances himself from Wallerstein’s model. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 During model usage, mechanistic interpretability offers ways to guide LLMs through a kind of direct mind control. — Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 11 Mar. 2026 According to the researchers, their study provides one of the clearest mechanistic links yet between the gestational environment, epigenetic changes, and psychiatric disorders. — New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mechanistic

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of mechanistic was in 1884

Rhymes for mechanistic

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Browse Nearby Words

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mechanistic
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Cite this Entry

“Mechanistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mechanistic. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of mechanistic for Spanish Speakers

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