Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

cabriolet

American  
[kab-ree-uh-ley] / ˌkæb ri əˈleɪ /

noun

  1. a light, two-wheeled, one-horse carriage with a folding top, capable of seating two persons.

  2. an automobile resembling a coupe but with a folding top.


cabriolet British  
/ ˌkæbrɪəʊˈleɪ /

noun

  1. a small two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with two seats and a folding hood

  2. a former name for a drophead coupé

"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

Etymology

Origin of cabriolet

1760–70; < French: literally, little caper; so called from its light movement. See cabriole, -et

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:

Prices for the 2026 Porsche 911 Turbo S, in coupe and cabriolet form, are about 11% higher than the 2025 models.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 30, 2025

To complete the swap, Mr. Mann restored the Franay cabriolet coachwork to the 145.

From New York Times Apr. 9, 2020

Yes, the G Wagen is a bit obnoxious and, no, a cabriolet version doesn’t make it any more approachable or affordable.

From The Verge Jan. 18, 2018

The cabriolet comes with a power-operated fabric soft top; the coupe has a panoramic glass roof.

From Seattle Times Sep. 5, 2017

To-morrow night should find us at Fredericksburg, if we go as fast as we did coming down in the cabriolet.

From Peggy Owen at Yorktown by Lucy Foster Madison

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training