driverless

American  

[drahy-ver-lis] / ˈdraɪ vər lɪs /

adjective

1. 1. not having a human driver in control.

      The horse became startled and the now driverless horse-drawn carriage ran into a car.

   2. without a human operator.

      driverless machinery.

2. (of a vehicle) navigated and maneuvered by a computer without a need for human control or intervention under a range of driving situations and conditions.

   a driverless car.

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Etymology

Origin of driverless

First recorded in 1840–1850

Explanation

If you spot a car cruising down the road without a human at the wheel, don’t worry — it's not a ghost driving, it's probably just a driverless vehicle. The word driverless means exactly what it sounds like: a vehicle with no one driving it. The word combines driver, someone who drives or controls movement, with the suffix -less, which means "without." Driverless vehicles use technology like sensors and computers to "see" the road and make decisions without a person behind the wheel.

Example Sentences

Last week, we reported on the driverless taxi companies racing to launch their services across the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

In Zagreb, it aims to transition to fully driverless operations by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approvals.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Tesla has hit a new milestone in its efforts to develop and refine its driverless vehicle technology, but it will be at least several months before a long-promised upgrade is available.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

When the vehicles violate traffic laws, some police have been stumped as to how to hold the driverless cars accountable.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

A pair of wondering, patient, driverless horses watched the departure, but they did not move from the spot where they had been checked by the first attack.

From Castle Craneycrow by McCutcheon, George Barr