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:
The youngest workforce in the American auto industry walked off the job at the General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, in March 1972.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The minister said nearly 75 percent of Turkey's auto production belonged to European companies and the continent's auto manufacturers have been making cars in the country since 1971.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
China and Europe reach a truce on pending trade war with limits on Chinese hybrid auto exports.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
For instance, it can be used as a food propellant for whipped cream dispensers or to boost auto engines, and is sold in canisters and tanks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
A truck pulled up in front of the auto parts shop just as Hassan raised his glass of tea.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
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 Arnold Bennett
Food, autos, household durables, recreational goods, airlines and delivery services are among the most freight- and fuel-exposed goods-and-services categories, the economists said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
It has been among the hardest hit by U.S. levies of 50% on steel and 25% on autos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Greer told the New York Times on Saturday that the Trump administration offered to eliminate a 10-percent tariff on softwood lumber, and reduce the 25-percent autos tariff.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
Negotiators were reportedly discussing a deal that would reduce US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium from 50% to 25%, and on Canadian autos from 25% to 15%.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Our roads turned to mud, and the autos just couldn’t make it.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
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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.
