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.

---

Etymology

Origin of driverless

First recorded in 1840–1850

Example Sentences

A mass robotaxi outage in the Chinese city of Wuhan caused at least a hundred self-driving cars to stop mid-traffic, sparking renewed debate around the safety of driverless vehicles.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Apollo Go completed 3.4 million driverless rides in the fourth quarter last year, with total rides more than tripling from the prior-year period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In the fourth quarter of 2025, Apollo Go delivered 3.4 million driverless rides, with total rides increasing over 200 percent compared to the same period a year prior, according to company filings.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Although the deal marks Zoox’s first third-party partnership with a platform like Uber, it’s just one of over two dozen for the ride-hailing company, which aims to offer driverless rides in 15 cities this year.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

King Yudhishthira the just, steedless and driverless, looked like a blazing fire in consequence of the wrath with which he was then excited.

From The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3 Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 by Ganguli, Kisari Mohan