motorize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to furnish with a motor, as a vehicle.
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to supply with motor-driven vehicles, usually in the place of horses and horse-drawn vehicles.
verb
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to equip with a motor
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to provide (military units) with motor vehicles
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of motorize
Explanation
To motorize is to give something a motor so that it will move or work better (or faster). If you motorize your bicycle, it'll make riding up hills a lot easier. Some wheelchairs are propelled by turning the wheels by hand. If you motorize a wheelchair, it helps someone with little arm strength get around. This verb is also used, especially in military contexts, to mean "equip with vehicles," so a commander might decide to motorize an urban unit during a conflict, setting it up with motorized tanks to patrol more safely.
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.
See Examples For:
Sensory technology could help motorize the prosthesis, allowing for improved gait when running and other improvements.
From Washington Times ● May 11, 2016
Skateboards retain some residual punk cool even after you motorize them.
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2015
The biggest trouble was that the Soviets were in a headlong rush to motorize; they insisted that the plant be in operation within three years from the day that ground was broken in January 1967.
From Time Magazine Archive
Though Washington spoke of Red orders for U.S. heavy industry, the supersalesmen actually in Moscow last week all seemed to offer equipment to motorize the Red Army against Japan.
From Time Magazine Archive
It devolves upon the United States to help to motorize the world.
From Time Magazine Archive
The largest decline was in the motorized vehicle crime rate, which fell by 25.8%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Once reserved for military, industrial and rehabilitative use, these types of motorized supports are becoming light and affordable enough for regular folks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
These motorized supports were once reserved for military, heavy industry and mobility rehabilitation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Much like Allen’s abode in Buffalo, it has a sizable pool, which can be accessed via a motorized window wall between the main living area and the backyard.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 4, 2026
But a man stood in front of Rosie’s, leaning against his red motorized bicycle, waiting to wave at any cars that might pass.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
With what money there was available, he began motorizing small units.
From Time Magazine Archive
He wished he could think up a way of motorizing it, fix it up like sort of a four-wheeled motor scooter.
From Jerry's Charge Account by Geer, Charles
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.
