automobile
Americannoun
-
automobiles
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing automobile
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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Frankenwords: Words with Roots from Different Languages
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: auto-
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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.
See Examples For:
The White House had alleged "discriminatory treatment" by Canada against US alcohol, automobile and dairy products in introducing the duties.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
He wants to launch an Insurer Scorecard, with a tool to let Floridians compare “rates on automobile, health, and home insurance.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Canada has been in pursuit of a deal that would see the US drop or reduce tariffs on its steel, aluminium, automobile and lumber sectors, all of which have been damaging to the country's economy.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Shares of General Motors rose in early Tuesday trading after the automobile maker beat second-quarter earnings expectations and raised its full-year outlook, snapping a four-quarter streak of revenue declines.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Later, when the automobile ban was lifted, we’d take the car with us on the Gay Head or the Sankaty, the steamers which plied between the mainland and the island.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
In addition, U.S. tariffs on Canadian-built automobiles are due to decrease to 15% from 25%, according to multiple published reports.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Canada has been in pursuit of a deal that would have the US drop or reduce tariffs on its steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Canadian officials have made lowering tariffs on sectors such as steel, aluminum, lumber and automobiles a priority in those trade negotiations and a condition for the country making concessions on U.S. demands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
You have installed a new roof for your home, carried out home repairs, paid for two automobiles and nasty veterinary bills.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
There were streetcars and automobiles and people upon people, but no parade.
From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
