programmatic

[ proh-gruh-mat-ik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, consisting of, or resembling program music.
2. of, having, advocating, resembling, or following a plan, policy, or program:

   programmatic art.

3. of, relating to, or employing a computer program:

   The coders found a programmatic solution to automate data processing.

programmatic

/ ˌprəʊɡrəˈmætɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to programme music
2. of or relating to a programme

Other Words From

• program·mati·cal·ly adverb
• nonpro·gram·matic adjective
• unpro·gram·matic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of programmatic¹

1895–1900; < Greek programmat- (stem of prógramma ) program + -ic

Example Sentences

“If you don’t agree with these solutions, that’s fine. What specific proposals would you offer up to offset that in terms of programmatic reductions?” he asked of budget critics.

From Los Angeles Times

They’re approachable and engaging, and while she’s working within the recognizable parameters of the classic art film — her stories are elliptical, her authorship unambiguous — there’s nothing programmatic about her work.

From New York Times

The resolution calls on San Francisco to not repeat the harmful policies and practices, and to commit “to making substantial ongoing, systemic, and programmatic investments” in Black communities.

From Seattle Times

“However, its cost should not be allowed to undermine the long-term programmatic balance of the planetary portfolio.”

From Los Angeles Times

The district’s latest offer will require programmatic cuts to the current budget, Renard Adams, the district’s director of research, accountability and assessment, said Tuesday during a news conference outside Markham Elementary School in Southwest Portland.

From Seattle Times

More About Programmatic

What does programmatic mean?

Programmatic is most commonly used to describe things done using a computer program.

In computing, a program is a sequence of instructions (called code) that enable a computer to perform a task. Programmatic is used to refer to tasks that can be done in an automated way (using such programs), especially as opposed to tasks that have to be done manually (by a person).

Program is a common word that has many other meanings, and programmatic can also refer to anything involving or using a plan.

More specifically but less commonly, it can be used to describe something involving program music, which is music intended to convey an impression of a definite series of images, scenes, or events.

Example: Instead of reading every cell in the spreadsheet to look for duplicates, you can filter them out programmatically.

Where does programmatic come from?

The word programmatic is first recorded in English around the early 1900s, but it didn’t come to be used in its modern sense until much later (obviously), after the advent of computers. But today, it’s most commonly used to refer to tasks completed with software.

Performing tasks in a programmatic way is really the whole point of computers. Instead of having to solve long, complex equations, computers were invented to crunch the numbers programmatically: instructions (the code) are programmed into the computer, specific data is put in, and then, bleep bloop, the computer does the work.

You’re most likely to hear the word being used to discuss how something can be automated, or at least simplified, so that humans don’t have to do as much work. But the scale and potential applications of things that can be done programmatically are limitless.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of programmatic?

• programmatically (adverb)
• nonprogrammatic (adjective)
• unprogrammatic (adjective)
• programmatical (adjective)

What are some synonyms for programmatic?

• algorithmic
• computative

What are some words that share a root or word element with programmatic?

• program
• programming
• diagrammatic

What are some words that often get used in discussing programmatic?

• code
• programmer
• developer
• algorithm
• data
• parse
• music

How is programmatic used in real life?

Programmatic is primarily used to talk about having software do the work so we don’t have to.

How Mondelēz MENA adopted DoubleClick's #programmatic solution to build brand awareness: https://t.co/E5G8e3kONv pic.twitter.com/VOxsZia7CA

— Think with Google MENA (@thinkgooglemena) July 31, 2017

Expect? No, but I think it benefits everyone to look into tooling that makes their life easier.

And as a software engineer, I've found it's much easier to find a programmatic solution rather than try to train the correct behavior in people 🤷‍♂️

— Comrade 🧐 (@ComradeNexus) September 24, 2019

I don't know what the best/right answer is, but a mix of custom types that expose more detailed info in a programmatic way seems like a good place to start.

— yortw (@yortw) May 14, 2019

 

 

Try using programmatic!

Which of the following words is an antonym (opposite) of programmatic?

A. algorithmic
B. automated
C. manual
D. methodical