The difference between Automatic and Perfunctory

When used as adjectives, automatic means capable of operating without external control or intervention, whereas perfunctory means done only to fulfil a duty, or in a careless or indifferent manner.

Automatic is also noun with the meaning: a car with automatic transmission.

check bellow for the other definitions of Automatic and Perfunctory

  1. Automatic as an adjective:

    Capable of operating without external control or intervention.

    Examples:

    "The automatic clothes washer was a great labor-saving device."

  2. Automatic as an adjective:

    Done out of habit or without conscious thought.

    Examples:

    "The reaction was automatic: flight!"

  3. Automatic as an adjective (of a [[firearm]] such as a [[machine gun]]):

    Firing continuously as long as the trigger is pressed until ammunition is exhausted.

    Examples:

    "Fully automatic weapons cannot be legally owned by private citizens in the US, except in very special circumstances, as by private security companies."

  4. Automatic as an adjective (of a [[handgun]]):

    An autoloader; a semi-automatic or self-loading pistol, as opposed to a revolver or other manually actuated handgun, which fires one shot per pull of the trigger; distinct from machine guns.

    Examples:

    "The US Army adopted John Browning's M1911 pistol as its [[sidearm]], chambered in .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol)."

  5. Automatic as an adjective (computing, of a local [[variable]]):

    Automatically added to and removed from the stack during the course of function calls.

  6. Automatic as an adjective (maths, of a group):

    Having one or more finite-state automata

  1. Automatic as a noun:

    A car with automatic transmission.

    Examples:

    "I never learned to drive a stick. I can only drive an automatic."

  2. Automatic as a noun:

    A semi-automatic pistol.

    Examples:

    "The [[G-men]] raiding the [[speakeasy]] were equipped with .45 automatics, while the local policemen were carrying revolvers and shotguns."

  1. Perfunctory as an adjective:

    Done only to fulfil a duty, or in a careless or indifferent manner; performed mechanically and as a thing of rote.

    Examples:

    "He did a perfunctory job cleaning his dad's car, finishing quickly but leaving a few spots still dirty."

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