automobile
Americannoun
-
automobiles
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of automobile
1865–70; < French: literally, self-movable (vehicle). See auto- 1, mobile
Explanation
An automobile is a car: a vehicle with four wheels and an internal combustion engine. The automobile is one of the most common ways to travel. Thanks in part to Henry Ford, automobiles are just about everywhere: in cities, small towns, and even in rural areas, where it's too far to walk from place to place and there's very little public transportation. Trucks, vans, buses, and limousines are bigger than the typical automobile, but they’re automobiles, too. A motorcycle isn't an automobile because it only has two wheels. Automobiles are good for getting around, but they also cause pollution and automobile accidents.
Vocabulary lists containing automobile
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Frankenwords: Words with Roots from Different Languages
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: auto-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Meanwhile, analog-chip names, which mostly serve the automobile and industrial markets, have outperformed the broader sector “as overall AI sentiment has soured,” Rasgon said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
She then told a story about driving a carload of children to school one day in an automobile limping along because a tire had been slashed by union opponents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
China’s own automotive industry took off, inspired by the success of Musk’s vision for the electrified automobile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
"I've called for that too. I've said let's not send out the diesel. We make a lot of diesel. That could have a little bit of an effect on regular automobile gasoline," he said .
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Thiel had lived in America for fourteen years and worked as a toolmaker for automobile factories.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Carney reiterated that Canadian officials are prepared to return to talks with the U.S. on a deal that provides tariff relief on Canadian steel, aluminum and automobiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
“Using AI to autonomously operate automobiles, trucks, and drones, as well as other industrial automation initiatives, represent a $400 billion market opportunity by increasing equipment uptime while reducing training and operating costs,” they said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
On 8,000 acres in Michigan, Ford’s researchers planted 300 soybean varieties and searched for ways to incorporate the harvest into automobiles.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
One of these automobiles could come cruising into her life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Though preferable to automobiles, streetcars didn’t appeal to Desdemona either.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
