automobile

1 of 2

noun

au·​to·​mo·​bile ˌȯ-tə-mō-ˈbēl How to pronounce automobile (audio)
ˈȯ-tə-mō-ˌbēl,
ˌȯ-tə-ˈmō-ˌbēl How to pronounce automobile (audio)
: a usually four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation
automobile intransitive verb

automobile

2 of 2

adjective

Examples of automobile in a Sentence

Noun He drives an expensive automobile. browsed online for used automobiles for sale
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Chevrolet’s famed Tri-Five automobiles—built in 1955, 1956, and 1957—were models that established themselves as automotive heartthrobs in their time, and even more so over the course of ensuing decades. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2024 The discovery of electrons, aka electricity, was the major driving force of the second industrial revolution, leading to more efficient mass-production techniques in the form of assembly-line production and the rise of the steel, automobile, and telecommunications industries. Sarwant Singh, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
That included state income taxes ($130.7 million, or 15.1%, above estimates), non-automobile sales taxes ($80.7 million, or 8.5%, above estimates), auto sales taxes ($10.1 million, or 7.8%, above estimates) and commercial activity taxes ($2.4 million, or 23.1%, above estimates). Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, 10 Jan. 2022 Bad news for the anti-automobile Ham & Eggers. Nick Canepa Columnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Nov. 2020 See all Example Sentences for automobile 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

derivative of automobile entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from French, "self-propelled," from auto- auto- + mobile mobile entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1881, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of automobile was in 1876

Dictionary Entries Near automobile

Cite this Entry

“Automobile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automobile. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

automobile

1 of 2 adjective
au·​to·​mo·​bile ˈȯt-ə-mō-ˌbēl How to pronounce automobile (audio) ˌȯt-ə-mō-ˈbē(ə)l How to pronounce automobile (audio)
ˌȯt-ə-ˈmō-ˌbēl
: of or relating to automobiles

automobile

2 of 2 noun
: a usually four-wheeled vehicle with its own power system (as an internal combustion engine) designed for passenger transportation
automobile verb
automobilist noun

More from Merriam-Webster on automobile

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