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¹mechanical

adjective me·chan·i·cal \mi-ˈka-ni-kəl\

: of or relating to machinery

: having or using machinery

: happening or done without thought or without any effort to be different or interesting

Full Definition of MECHANICAL

a (1) : of or relating to machinery or tools <mechanical applications of science> <a mechanical genius> <mechanical aptitude> (2) : produced or operated by a machine or tool <mechanical power> <a mechanical refrigerator> <a mechanical saw>

b : of or relating to manual operations

: of or relating to artisans or machinists <the mechanical trades>

a : done as if by machine : seemingly uninfluenced by the mind or emotions : automatic

b : of or relating to technicalities or petty matters

a : relating to, governed by, or in accordance with the principles of mechanics <mechanical energy>

b : relating to the quantitative relations of force and matter <mechanical pressure of wind on a tower>

: caused by, resulting from, or relating to a process that involves a purely physical as opposed to a chemical or biological change or process <mechanical erosion of rock>

— me·chan·i·cal·ly \-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See mechanical defined for English-language learners

See mechanical defined for kids

First Known Use of MECHANICAL

15th century

Related to MECHANICAL

Synonyms: instinctive, instinctual, involuntary, knee-jerk, mechanic, automatic, robotic, spontaneous

Antonyms: nonmechanical

Synonym Discussion of MECHANICAL

spontaneous, impulsive, instinctive, automatic, mechanical mean acting or activated without deliberation. spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness <a spontaneous burst of applause>. impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment <impulsive acts of violence>. instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will <blinking is an instinctive reaction>. automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response <his denial was automatic>. mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response <a mechanical teaching method>.

Other Mechanical Engineering Terms

centrifuge, differential, flange, lathe, linchpin, pinion, plenum, ratchet, traction

Rhymes with MECHANICAL

botanical, tyrannical

²mechanical

noun

Definition of MECHANICAL

obsolete : mechanic 1

: a piece of finished copy consisting typically of type proofs and artwork positioned and mounted for photomechanical reproduction

First Known Use of MECHANICAL

1600

Other Printing Terms

epigraph, errata, leader, notch, tittle, underscore, widow

Rhymes with MECHANICAL

botanical

MECHANICAL[2] Defined for Kids

mechanical

adjective me·chan·i·cal \mi-ˈka-ni-kəl\

Definition of MECHANICAL for Kids

: of or relating to machinery <He has mechanical skill.>

: made or operated by a machine <a mechanical toy>

: done or produced as if by a machine <Charles Wallace … started to walk in a strange, gliding, mechanical manner. — Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time>

— me·chan·i·cal·ly adverb

Medical Dictionary

mechanical

adjective me·chan·i·cal \mi-ˈkan-i-kəl\

Medical Definition of MECHANICAL

: relating to the quantitative relations of force and matter <mechanical pressure exerted by the bubbles in the tissues—H. G. Armstrong>

: caused by, resulting from, or relating to physical as opposed to biological or chemical processes or change <mechanical injury> <mechanical asphyxiation>

—me·chan·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb