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.
The government has recently announced substantial investments of public money in energy software company Kraken, self-driving firm Wayve and a UK tech focused investment fund Playground Global.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
The U.K. government has in recent weeks taken stakes in startups like Kraken—the technology arm of utility Octopus Energy—, self-driving car firm Wayve and quantum-computing company Oxford Quantum Circuits.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
The ride-hailing company doesn’t want to become the self-driving vehicle manufacturer or software developer, it just wants to handle the logistics and day-to-day operations, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
He often talks about futuristic technologies and visions of a world where humanoid robots do all the work, money has been discarded and self-driving vehicles roam the streets.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
Tesla is staking a lot that its self-driving tech will lead the industry.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 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.
