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 outage is not the first time self-driving cars have faced technical difficulties.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
Analysts have speculated that Musk may eventually merge his biggest holdings together to create one large company focused on EVs, robots, self-driving cars, rockets, AI, social media and more.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
Meanwhile, the Alphabet CEO’s new comp plan is now tied, in part, to Waymo, the self-driving car unit that grew out of Google and helped ignite the original excitement for the technology.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
Rivian is just the latest robotaxi partnership for Uber, which has established itself as a key player in the burgeoning market of self-driving cars.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
Tesla’s stock rose 141% over two years, fueled by AI robo-taxi hopes, with Morgan Stanley valuing its self-driving at $1.2 trillion.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 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.
