motorist
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of motorist
Explanation
Motorist is another word for "driver." Motorists need to be aware of pedestrians and stay out of bike lanes. It's especially common to find the word motorists in news stories when they're talking about drivers as a collective group, like all the motorists in downtown Chicago or rural motorists on two-lane highways. Motorist first appeared in the late 19th century, around the time the earliest automobiles did, meaning "motor car driver." An alternative term that quickly became obsolete was motorneer.
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.
The alleged misconduct in that case came to light in late 2022 after a motorist said police had pulled him over and searched his vehicle without consent or probable cause.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
A police officer burst into tears as he was cleared of killing a motorist during a high-speed pursuit of another driver.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026
"I can't believe it," said one motorist, who spoke to AFP on Friday on condition of anonymity.
From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025
Late on a cold afternoon in March, a motorist in Belleville, Ill., came upon a young boy wandering down a busy street without shoes and wearing only a T-shirt and pajama bottoms.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025
Once Cheryl reached the highway, a motorist spotted her and took her to the hospital.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
