home automation
/hoʊm ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃən/
CommonSetting up your home's devices to run on schedules or triggers without manual control.
Can describe anything from a simple timer to a complex multi-system setup involving a home server running Home Assistant. The hobbyist end gets very deep very fast.
Real-world examples3 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | fell into the home automation rabbit hole last year. now i have 40 devices and a home server | What started small grew into a major hobby with significant hardware investment. | reddit, 2024 |
| 02 | home automation tip: automate the things you do every day first. lights at bedtime, not party mode | Practical advice to start with useful automations before creative ones. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | my home automation broke and now i can't turn the lights on manually because i removed all the switches | Over-automating removed the fallback option for basic functions. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- Describing scheduled or trigger-based control of smart home devices.
- Talking about building routines across multiple connected devices.
- Discussing platforms like Home Assistant, Google Home, or Apple Home.
Do not use it when
- You just mean you have one smart bulb you turn on with an app.
Origin and context
The concept of home automation predates the internet (X10 protocol, 1975), but consumer smart home automation took off with connected device ecosystems in the 2010s.
- First seen
- 1970s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/home-automationUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0