HOV

American  

abbreviation

1. high-occupancy vehicle: a car or other vehicle carrying a required minimum number of passengers, usually two.

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Etymology

Origin of HOV

1990–95

Example Sentences

Hovnanian Enterprises HOV -16.25%decrease; red down pointing triangle faced higher costs and lower margins in its fourth quarter, dragging the company to a loss.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

This is a long-standing struggle in the Southland, where Joan Didion once called HOV lanes on the freeways “a foray into bureaucratic terrorism.”

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

They took the next off-ramp and circled back, slowing to about 30 mph in the HOV lane with the car’s hazard lights on.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024

Only the left northbound HOV lane, south of 272nd Street, was open as of 12:30 p.m., causing traffic to back up about two miles, the Washington Department of Transportation said.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024

“After that date, the public authority must discontinue allowing the use of such vehicle in HOV lanes unless such vehicle has the required number of occupants or Congress extends this provision,” Ongtoaboc said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2024