autopilot
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autopilot
A technical system that automatically steers a vehicle, especially an aircraft or ship, on a preset course.
Nach Erreichen der Reiseflughöhe schaltete die Pilotin den Autopiloten ein.
After reaching cruising altitude, the pilot switched on the autopilot.
'Autopilot' is a compound word made up of 'Auto-' and 'Pilot'. The prefix 'Auto-' comes from Greek and means 'self' or 'automatic'. So an autopilot is an 'automatic pilot'.
Moderne Schiffe werden auf hoher See oft vom Autopiloten gesteuert.
Modern ships are often steered by autopilot on the open sea.
In the technical sense, 'Autopilot' (autopilot) is usually combined with the verbs 'einschalten' (to switch on), 'ausschalten' (to switch off), or 'aktivieren' (to activate).
Der Pilot darf den Autopiloten erst ab einer bestimmten Höhe einschalten.
The pilot may only switch on the autopilot above a certain altitude.
The figurative meaning is almost always expressed with the fixed phrase 'auf Autopilot' (on autopilot). It describes doing an action routinely and without thinking.
Nach einer langen Arbeitswoche fahre ich freitags oft auf Autopilot nach Hause.
After a long workweek, I often drive home on autopilot on Fridays.
The expression 'auf Autopilot sein' (to be on autopilot) or 'auf Autopilot schalten' (to switch to autopilot) belongs to colloquial language and is often used in informal everyday contexts.
Ich war so müde, dass mein Gehirn einfach auf Autopilot geschaltet hat.
I was so tired that my brain simply switched to autopilot.
routine
'die Routine' and 'der Autopilot' can both describe doing something almost automatically. 'Routine' is more neutral and means either a fixed habit or confidence gained through practice. 'Autopilot' is figurative and emphasizes more strongly that you are barely thinking consciously anymore. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with automatic action. For a regular sequence of actions, 'Routine' fits better. When someone is not really mentally attentive but still acts, 'Autopilot' sounds more natural.
Nach dem langen Arbeitstag fuhr ich fast wie auf Autopilot nach Hause.
After the long workday, I drove home almost on autopilot.
Nach ein paar Wochen wurde das frühe Aufstehen für mich zur Routine.
After a few weeks, getting up early became routine for me.