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

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

automobile automobiles

All metro and automobile traffic is now suspended across the bridge, causing major delays across the city.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 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

President Trump and his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae Myung, reached a pact last October that saw the U.S. lower most tariffs from 25% to 15%, including on South Korea’s automobile sector.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

And so did the French legal system back in 1896, when Armand Peugeot, who had inherited from his parents a metalworking shop that produced springs, saws and bicycles, decided to go into the automobile business.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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

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

Founded in the 19th century by Jewish brothers Loeb and Moses Simson in Suhl, Thuringia, it grew into a thriving industrial firm that made firearms but also bicycles and luxury automobiles.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

At the bottom of the hill it charged across the road, knocking over a telegraph pole and flattening two parked automobiles as it went by.

From "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl

Related Words

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