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

• automobiles
  plural

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

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adjective

1. of or relating to automobiles; automotive.

automobile British  

/ ˈɔːtəməˌbiːl /

noun

1. another word (esp US) for car

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• automobilist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• automobiles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of automobile

1865–70; < French: literally, self-movable (vehicle). See auto- ¹, mobile

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

automobile automobiles

It could have a little of an effect on regular automobile gasoline, because when you do that, it’s sort of a flow, a balance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 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

While AI plays might be back in vogue, utilities have struggled, as have consumer discretionary stocks, including names tied to automobile components, textiles and luxury goods, he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

“In light of evolving societal norms, the Commissioner deems there is insufficient justification for the continued use of marital status in automobile insurance rating,” the filing stated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

He took Mother for a ride in his first automobile, some early ancestor of Foolish Carriage.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Justices across the ideological spectrum noted that state-based lawsuits are routinely used to target other conduct with widespread effects, such as the marketing of tobacco, the manufacture of asbestos or the production of defective automobiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 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

There would be no sound of automobiles or motorcycles or buses.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

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Related Words

• auto
• bus
• convertible
• limousine
• passenger car
• pickup truck
• sports car
• station wagon
• taxi
• transportation
• truck
• van

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