programmatic

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a nounbusinesscomputing

   Done automatically by software following set rules, especially in buying and placing online advertising.

   Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: programmatic advertising, programmatic buying.

   Patterns

   • programmatic access to something

   The agency shifted most of its budget to programmatic advertising.

   Programmatic buying lets software bid for ad space in milliseconds.

   Our team prefers programmatic checks to manual review of every file.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nouncomputing

   Controlled or carried out through a computer program, rather than by hand or through a visual interface.

   Grammar: Often contrasts with manual or graphical: a programmatic interface.

   Patterns

   • programmatic access
   • programmatic control of something

   The service offers programmatic access through an API.

   He built the charts programmatically rather than drawing them by hand.

   Programmatic control of the lights allows the whole stage to be scripted.

3. 3adjectivecomparableformal

   Following a clear, planned set of aims or steps, as in a program of action.

   Grammar: Describes plans, music or policies that follow a set scheme.

   The party issued a programmatic statement setting out its goals for the decade.

   Critics found the novel too programmatic, as if each scene served a thesis.

   The composer wrote a programmatic piece that follows a story from start to finish.

Common combinations

programmatic advertising

Programmatic advertising now accounts for most online display ads.

programmatic buying

Programmatic buying removes the need for phone calls between brands and publishers.

programmatic access

Developers request programmatic access to the data through an API.

programmatic approach

A programmatic approach to testing catches errors early.

programmatic music

Programmatic music tells a story without any words.

Synonyms and how they differ

automated

Automated simply says no person is involved, while programmatic implies the process is driven by code or rules.

systematic

Systematic describes an orderly method of any kind, not necessarily one run by software.

scripted

Scripted suggests a fixed sequence written out in advance, often for a single task.

Opposites

Word family

programmatically adverb

by means of a computer program

program noun

a set of instructions or a plan of activities

programmer noun

a person who writes computer code

programming noun

the writing of computer code

Commonly confused: programmatic or pragmatic?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “programmatic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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