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Synonyms

automobile

American  
[aw-tuh-muh-beel, aw-tuh-muh-beel, aw-tuh-moh-beel, -buhl] / ˌɔ tə məˈbil, ˈɔ tə məˌbil, ˌɔ təˈmoʊ bil, -bəl /

noun

  1. a passenger vehicle designed for operation on ordinary roads and typically having four wheels and a gasoline or diesel internal-combustion engine.


adjective

  1. of or relating to automobiles; automotive.

automobile British  
/ -ˈməʊbɪlɪst, ˌɔːtəməˈbiːlɪst, ˈɔːtəməˌbiːl /

noun

  1. another word (esp US) for car

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • automobilist noun

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing automobile

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.

“It is the opinion of the Ford Motor Company that automobile exhaust gases are dissipated in the atmosphere quickly and do not present an air pollution problem.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Despite his tariffs, Japan still maintains a large bilateral trade surplus, especially in the automobile sector.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

At one end, a small but growing cohort of educated and skilled women is entering salaried roles in IT, automobile manufacturing and business services.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

That includes a 14.5% slump in return trips from the U.S. to 1.5 million, including a near 13% drop in visits by automobile and almost 18% decline in air travel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Later, he became enamored of Japanese interlocking puzzles and dimensional wooden puzzles shaped in the form of an automobile or an animal.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady