motor vehicle

noun

: an automotive vehicle not operated on rails
especially : one with rubber tires for use on highways

Examples of motor vehicle in a Sentence

You can register your car at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. got a license to drive a motor vehicle the minute she turned 16
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.
Court records show Tyler was convicted on Oct. 30, 2019, in Milwaukee County for operating a motor vehicle without an owner’s consent and of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025 But here's the sticking point: The DNR maintains that the ski trail groomer equipment — a 2015 John Deere Gator crossover utility vehicle — was not really a motor vehicle, so therefore immunity still applies. Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 3 July 2025 One piece of technology that LAZ is now rolling out involves a motor vehicle pulling into a parking venue, a reader scanning the license plate without having to pull a ticket or going to a pay station. Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 2 July 2025 She was also charged with manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for motor vehicle

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of motor vehicle was in 1890

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motor vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motor%20vehicle. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

motor vehicle

noun
: a motorized vehicle (as an automobile or motorcycle) not operated on rails

More from Merriam-Webster on motor vehicle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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