auto
noun
auto
1 American
[aw-toh]
/ ˈɔ toʊ /
noun
autos
plural
adjective
auto-
2
American
auto-
3
American
auto-
4
American
auto.
5
American
abbreviation
-
automatic.
-
automobile.
-
automotive.
auto
1
British
/ ˈɔːtəʊ /
noun
-
-
short for automobile
-
( as modifier )
auto parts
-
-
informal short for autorickshaw
auto-
2
British
combining form
-
self; same; of or by the same one
autobiography
-
acting from or occurring within; self-caused
autohypnosis
-
self-propelling; automatic
automobile
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of auto1
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; by shortening
Origin of auto-2
< Greek, combining form of autós self
Origin of auto-3
see origin at auto
Explanation
An auto is a car. If you drive your auto too fast, you might get a speeding ticket. The word auto is an informal, shortened form of automobile. You're most likely to hear the word auto when someone's talking about insurance, auto parts, or the auto industry. Automobile was originally a French word, formed from the Greek autos, or "self," and the French mobile, "moving."
Vocabulary lists containing auto
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:
“Strong auto sales are unusual when consumers are pinched,” said Chris Low, chief economist at FHN Financial.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“You don’t make an auto purchase unless you have some degree of confidence” in the jobs market, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
China’s auto sales remained weak in June, with retail sales of passenger cars slumping 20.2% in the first half, the China Passenger Car Association data showed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
The provider of hire purchase and auto loans focuses on Thailand’s low-yield segments such as new-car hire purchases to sustain good-loan quality, the analyst notes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Papa took his worn blue coveralls off the coat hanger and pulled them over the work clothes he was wearing for his computer repair job; the coveralls looked like something an auto mechanic would wear.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
An auto- inflammatory disease is defined by chronic inflammation, unprovoked by an infection, when antibody concentrations are not high.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
So you used to be able to post to WordPress and we would auto- post to Tumblr, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook etc., and they turned off those API is after Cambridge Analytica.
From The Verge ● Aug. 14, 2019
“Yet while auto- and steelworkers generally shared some of the gains of their industries, the growers rarely got their piece of the pie,” Simon writes.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 1, 2017
Debating the question “is the iCar real?” has become a favorite barroom distraction for auto- and tech journos alike.
From Time ● Apr. 18, 2016
A regiment was passing through it in auto- buses.
From Over There War Scenes on the Western Front by Bennett, Arnold
Heidelberg Materials gained 2.4%, while autos in the index continued a cautious rebound.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
While this purgatory may not rattle the market like last year’s tariff battles, it will be an irritant for sectors reliant on the relationship such as autos, metals and agriculture.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
If they get some reductions, it could be a boost for U.S. autos and manufacturers impacted by the levies.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
France’s CAC 40 lost 0.75%, where autos and luxury stocks extended periods of weakness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Riding trains, autos, or buggies, moving from morning till night, we went from shack to shack, plantation to plantation.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Definitions 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.
