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.
Destatis said the rise in September orders was driven by a jump in the automotive industry and a substantial rise in machinery and equipment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
As automotive analyst Lauren Fix puts it: “If you’re selling hamburgers and expensive steaks, the hamburgers are going to sell a lot faster.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
"Government must make full use of the 60-day notice period because the possibility of reinstatement remains," it said, also calling for an "automotive trade solution".
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
Schaeffler, in a statement, said it was "responding to the persistently challenging environment in the automotive industry."
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
“The big new trend that is coming to the U.S. is ‘subluxury’ cars,” said David Thomas, editor of Autoblog, an online automotive guide.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
