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)
Synonyms of automobilenext
: 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
Founded in 1880 by brothers Jacobus and Hendrik Spijker, Spyker was the industrial pride of the Netherlands by the early 20th century, advancing automobile and aircraft manufacture until shutting down in 1925. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2025 Issa made his fortune creating and running Directed Electronics, which was one of the nation’s largest companies making automobile security and alarm products. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2025
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 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 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Automobile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automobile. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

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!