mechanize

verb

mech·​a·​nize ˈme-kə-ˌnīz How to pronounce mechanize (audio)
mechanized; mechanizing

transitive verb

1
: to make mechanical
especially : to make automatic or routine
2
a
: to equip with machinery especially to replace human or animal labor
b
: to equip with armed and armored motor vehicles
c
: to provide with mechanical power
3
: to produce by or as if by machine
mechanizable adjective
mechanization noun
mechanizer noun

Examples of mechanize in a Sentence

an invention that helped to mechanize agriculture
Recent Examples on the Web There have been attempts to standardize and mechanize dry stone walling, using, for example, software and a robotic excavator. Hannah Kirshner, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2023 Then the steel factory mechanized, replacing Mr. Niewenhoudt with a robot. Lynsey Chutel Gulshan Khan, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2023 The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanize production. Klaus Schwab, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2015 By the late nineteenth century, the majority of Nottingham’s lace production had been mechanized. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2023 Other growers are trying industrial-scale greenhouses, indoor beds of soil in massive warehouses and special robots to mechanize parts of the farming process. Melina Walling, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2023 And more to the point, who in her right mind would want to mechanize them? Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 7 July 2023 First, much of the war has been mechanized with Russians and Ukrainian units engaging each other at a distance with tank and artillery fire. Vikram Mittal, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023 Plus One Robotics has raised $50 million to increase deployment of its parcel-handling robots to clients looking to mechanize operations in warehouses and distribution centers. Eric Killelea, San Antonio Express-News, 8 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mechanize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mechanize was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near mechanize

Cite this Entry

“Mechanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mechanize. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mechanize

verb
mech·​a·​nize ˈmek-ə-ˌnīz How to pronounce mechanize (audio)
mechanized; mechanizing
1
: to make mechanical
especially : to make automatic
2
a
: to equip with machinery especially to replace human or animal labor
b
: to equip with armed and armored motor vehicles
mechanized infantry
mechanization noun
mechanizer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mechanize

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