motor vehicle

noun

: an automotive vehicle not operated on rails

especially : one with rubber tires for use on highways

Synonyms of motor vehicle

• car
• bus
• automobile
• machine
• wheels

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

One recent working paper examining Flock deployments across more than 200 law enforcement agencies found motor vehicle theft declined after the cameras were deployed. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

State police said troopers located the SUV traveling off of the Exit 1A ramp and turning onto Pitkin Street and initiated a motor vehicle stop at a nearby parking lot. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Aug. 2026

These big cities scored as the least safe in America based on their violent crime rates, property crime rates, motor vehicle fatality rates and disaster risks. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

One came from a failure to appear in Denver court, while another was for motor vehicle theft, the outlet reports. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

motor vehicle

noun

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