mechanical
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Related to machines, or done as if by a machine
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
muhkanihkuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
məˈkænɪkəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Related to mechanics (the design and construction of machines).
Related to mechanics (the branch of physics that deals with forces acting on matter).
figurative
As if performed by a machine: lifeless, mindless, thoughtless, automatic.
Done by machine.
of a person
Acting as if one were a machine: lifeless or mindless.
Using (or as if using) mechanisms or tools or devices
noun
One who does manual labor, especially one who is similar to Shakespeare's rude mechanicals
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: As if performed by a machine: lifeless, mindless, thoughtless, automatic.
Used this way, mechanical is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use mechanical
- “A mechanical process.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
The atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction.
A craftsman skilled in operating machine tools.
In a mechanical manner.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A physical phenomenon associated with the equilibrium or motion of objects.
A mechanically operated piano that uses a roll of perforated paper to activate the keys.
Any machine that exerts pressure to form or shape or cut materials or extract liquids or compress solids.
A system of elements that interact on mechanical principles.
Relating to or concerned with machinery or tools.
The ratio of the force exerted by a machine to the force applied to it.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A mechanical device that is operated by electricity.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Antonyms
Sense: related to mechanics (the design and construction of machines)
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.