Automatism

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɔːˈtɒmətɪzəm/

Definitions

1. A movement or action performed without conscious control ; a mental state where a person acts without awareness or voluntary intent
2. An action carried out reflexively or without deliberate thought ; a psychological condition involving automatic behaviors lacking conscious awareness
3. Spontaneous or unwilled bodily movements occurring independently of the will ; a disorder marked by unconscious conduct or speech

Etymology: Automatism comes from "automaton", a Greek-derived word meaning "self-moving" or "acting of its own will", built from "autos" ("self") and a root related to "matos" ("eager" or "willing"). The -ism ending turns the idea of a self-moving thing into a noun for the state or process of moving by itself. Early English uses were largely about mechanical devices, and the sense of an action performed without conscious thought came later. In the modern sense, automatism describes movements such as reflexes, sleepwalking, or the twitching of a limb during a seizure, where the body acts without the person deciding to act. The term is also used in psychology and law, where it can refer to actions performed without awareness, which bears on questions of responsibility.

Synonyms: mechanism, automatic process