self-driving
Americanadjective
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(of a machine) operating without the guidance of a human.
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(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.
self-driving cars.
Etymology
Origin of self-driving
First recorded in 1830–40
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.
Seven months ago, a self-driving Waymo made an illegal U-turn at a traffic light right in front of police officers in San Bruno.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Some of the chips will go into Tesla’s self-driving cars.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Cybercab -- billed as a self-driving robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals -- was unveiled in the fall of 2024, with Musk predicting at the time that it would become available in 2027.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
William Gavin looked into Tesla’s plan to address complaints from customers who were promised updates to their older electric vehicles to give them self-driving capability, only to be disappointed.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
Tesla has been telling customers for roughly a decade that all of its vehicles have the capability to be self-driving.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
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.
