automaton vs mechanism

automaton and mechanism both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
automaton	Yes	No	No	No
mechanism	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, mechanism is a hypernym of automaton; that is, mechanism is a word with a broader meaning than automaton:

automaton: a mechanism that can move automatically
mechanism: device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function

As nouns, mechanism is a hypernym of automaton; that is, mechanism is a word with a broader meaning than automaton:

automaton: a machine that operates on its own without the need for human control
mechanism: device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function

automaton (noun)	mechanism (noun)
a mechanism that can move automatically	the technical aspects of doing something
a machine that operates on its own without the need for human control	device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function
someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way	(philosophy) the philosophical theory that all phenomena can be explained in terms of physical or biological causes
	a natural object resembling a machine in structure or function
	the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction