vehicle

American  

[vee-i-kuhl, vee-hi-] / ˈvi ɪ kəl, ˈvi hɪ- /

noun

• vehicles
  plural

1. any means in or by which someone travels or something is carried or conveyed; a means of conveyance or transport.

   a motor vehicle; space vehicles.

2. a conveyance moving on wheels, runners, tracks, or the like, as a cart, sled, automobile, or tractor.

3. a means of transmission or passage.

   Air is the vehicle of sound.

4. a carrier, as of infection.

5. a medium of communication, expression, or display.

   The novel is a fitting vehicle for his talents. Language is the vehicle of thought.

6. Theater, Movies. a play, screenplay, or the like, having a role suited to the talents of and often written for a specific performer.

7. a means of accomplishing a purpose.

   College is a vehicle for success.

8. Rhetoric. the thing or idea to which the subject of a metaphor is compared, as “rose” in “she is a rose.”

9. Pharmacology. a substance, usually fluid, possessing little or no medicinal action, used as a medium for active remedies.

10. Painting. a liquid, as oil, in which a pigment is mixed before being applied to a surface.

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vehicle British  

/ ˈviːɪkəl /

noun

1. any conveyance in or by which people or objects are transported, esp one fitted with wheels

2. a medium for the expression, communication, or achievement of ideas, information, power, etc

3. pharmacol a therapeutically inactive substance mixed with the active ingredient to give bulk to a medicine

4. Also called: base. a painting medium, such as oil, in which pigments are suspended

5. (in the performing arts) a play, musical composition, etc, that enables a particular performer to display his talents

6. a rocket excluding its payload

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Pronunciation

Because the primary stress in vehicle is on the first syllable, the in the second syllable tends to disappear: . A pronunciation with primary stress on the second syllable and a fully pronounced is usually considered nonstandard: . In the adjective vehicular, where the primary stress is normally on the second syllable, the is always pronounced.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vehicular
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vehicles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of vehicle

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin vehiculum, from veh(ere) “to carry, convey, ride” + -i- -i- + -culum -cle ²

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Explanation

A vehicle gets you or your stuff where it needs to go. Even though the grocery store is only a few block away, you'll probably want to use a vehicle to get there, so you won't have to carry your groceries all the way home. A vehicle is anything that transports a person or thing, usually a car. But a vehicle can be a truck, a plane, a bus, a blimp or even a shopping cart, anything that transports people or things. Vehicle is also often used in the sense of a medium of expression. For example, if you're an artist, your art is the vehicle for your creative ideas. Some people believe that bread is just a vehicle for mayonnaise.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vehicle vehicles

Musk said the vehicle would go into production in 2028, though he's known for announcing release dates for his Tesla or SpaceX products that end up being pushed back by several years.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Musk has said the reimagined version of Tesla’s first-ever electric vehicle could have a top speed above 250 miles an hour and drive 620 miles on a single charge.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Hillingdon Council says it issues a £1,000 fixed penalty fine to culprits, and last month it seized and crushed a vehicle that was linked to fly tipping.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Energy sales made up around 11% of its total revenue in the first half of the year, while electric vehicle sales made up 70% of its revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

After Malia started tennis, I mostly watched her matches through the window of a Secret Service vehicle parked discreetly near the courts, not wanting to create a distraction.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Beneath the battle for aerial superiority, unmanned ground vehicles scurry back and forth delivering supplies, evacuating the wounded or, increasingly, leading the charge against the enemy.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Analyst John Campbell said a single-digit fall in Australian Aftermarket sales wasn’t surprising because of supply issues affecting Toyota vehicles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

During his visit, Volvo Cars also announced it was expanding its partnership with Nvidia to improve safety technology in its planned self-driving vehicles.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Although vehicles will be encouraged to use the official route, Caltrans acknowledged that drivers will take the path of least resistance to their destination.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

All vehicles attempting to enter the city had to pass through checkpoints.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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Related Words

• automobile
• bicycle
• boat
• bus
• cab
• car
• jeep
• taxi
• truck
• van
• wagon

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