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
Noun
The company wanted to reaffirm its commitment to high-performance automobiles and what better way to do so than by releasing its first supercar? Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia’s minister of investment, trade and industry, said foreign investment began to pick up 2019, driven by the widening use of semiconductors in everything from automobiles to medical devices. Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 On top of the salary, the contract awards a monthly stipend of $1,000 as an automobile allowance. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Feb. 2024 Apple may have played too long with automobiles without really figuring out how to win. Andrew Binns, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Last year, the board lowered the tax rate by two cents, although higher assessments on homes and automobiles caused in part by inflation still meant that residents’ annual bills were higher. Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 Slightly offsetting automobile strength was a drop in RV and boat sales due to the higher interest rates. Bill Conerly, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Smith Alley Brewing Company serves top-notch craft beer and tasty bites in a cool, industrial-feeling space that used to be an automobile repair garage. Molly O’Brien, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Abbott’s Candies - Hagerstown Abbott's has been making caramel since before automobiles were invented. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 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 Pre-19th-century houses tend to be built right up against busy main roads (for ease of access in pre-automobile times). Jenny Xie, Curbed, 28 Jan. 2022 The Transportation Committee, chaired by Kerry McCormack, has expanded its purview to examine regional transportation policies, and focus more on non-automobile forms of transportation, like rail, bicycles, e-bikes, and scooters. Courtney Astolfi, cleveland, 4 Jan. 2022 America should learn from their pro-cycling, anti-automobile ways, not drag them down to our level! Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'automobile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!