automobile

1 of 2

noun

au·​to·​mo·​bile ˌȯ-tə-mō-ˈbēl 

ˈȯ-tə-mō-ˌbēl, 

ˌȯ-tə-ˈmō-ˌbēl 

: a usually four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation

automobile intransitive verb

automobilist

ˌȯ-tə-mō-ˈbē-list  ˌȯ-tə-ˈmō-ˌbē-list 

noun

automobile

2 of 2

adjective

: automotive

Synonyms of automobile

Noun

• car
• bus
• machine

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 online automobile search engine found that the price of a three-year-old 911 has risen from $132,369 to $230,273, or $97,904 over the last seven years. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2026

Fueled by a 53% drop in motor vehicle theft and a 37% decrease in theft from automobiles, there has been 23% less property crime in DC from 2026 to 2025, according to police data. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Adjective

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

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

Rhymes for automobile

• periosteal
• peritoneal
• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• cartwheel
• conceal
• congeal
• coquille
• corneal
• cornmeal

Kids Definition

automobile

1 of 2 adjective

au·​to·​mo·​bile ˈȯt-ə-mō-ˌbēl  ˌȯt-ə-mō-ˈbē(ə)l 

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

-mō-ˈbē-ləst 

noun