automotive
Americanadjective
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pertaining to the design, operation, manufacture, or sale of automobiles.
automotive parts.
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propelled by a self-contained motor, engine, or the like.
noun
adjective
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relating to motor vehicles
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self-propelling
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of automotive
Explanation
Anything automotive has to do with automobiles — in other words, cars. The automotive industry, for example, is all about making and selling cars. If the windshield wipers fall off your car, get new ones at an automotive store. The word automotive comes from the Greek auto for “self” and motive for “moving," which makes sense for what the word may have meant in the late 1800s — a self-propelled helicopter-like machine for one person. Don’t bother looking for one of those, though, automotive now just refers to car stuff. If you're interested in automotive technology, you might become a mechanic. Or maybe you could figure out how to make one of those little helicopters.
Vocabulary lists containing automotive
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: auto-
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 1
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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.
We published our own magazines, built our own automotive businesses and, for good and bad, promoted our own outlaw street racer image and our own beauty standard.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026
The German carmaker said that it now expects a slight fall in automotive sales over the course of 2026 compared with a year earlier, having previously guided for flat growth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
Alongside tech coverage, Mauro also handles news across other beats, including aviation and defense, the automotive industry, luxury goods and healthcare.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
CEO Mike Dastoor cited “better-than-expected performance” in areas of the portfolio that had previously come under pressure, notably its automotive segment and connected living business, which centers on components found in smart home appliances.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
The automotive industry loves people like my father, because it means they can make lots of money from repairs that the car may or may not need.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
