internal combustion engine

noun

: a heat engine in which the combustion that generates the heat takes place inside the engine proper instead of in a furnace

Examples of internal combustion engine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

California’s Long-Term Policy Goals Finally, the state’s aggressive push to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 creates a chilling effect on long-term investment in fuel infrastructure. —Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

Thanks to their 'skateboard' chassis design and low center of gravity, they can be configured in ways traditional internal combustion engine vans can't, optimizing cargo space and drivability. —Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025

The previous Countryman was available with the brand's only plug-in hybrid powertrain, but Mini now only offers the Countryman with either an internal combustion engine or as a full battery electric vehicle. —ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025

This past fall, registrations in Norway of private electric cars outnumbered internal combustion engine cars for the first time. —Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

internal combustion engine

noun

: an engine in which the fuel is ignited within the engine cylinder instead of in an external furnace