motor vehicle

noun

Definition of motor vehiclenext
as in car
a self-propelled passenger vehicle on four wheels got a license to drive a motor vehicle the minute she turned 16

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of motor vehicle His misdemeanor charges include following too closely and affixing an unauthorized sun screening device to a motor vehicle, jail records show. — Tanya Babbar, Houston Chronicle, 29 Sep. 2026 Bassett was charged with operating a motor vehicle under suspension, misuse of license plate, operating without insurance and failure to stop at a red light. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 In 2023, 377 child pedestrians (ages infant to 14) were killed in motor vehicle crashes, while just under 13,000 suffered non-fatal injuries, according to the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 He was charged with felony breaking and entering, felony larceny after breaking and entering, and two counts of breaking or entering a motor vehicle, officials said. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for motor vehicle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motor vehicle
  1. car
  2. bus
  3. automobile
  4. machine
  5. wheels
Noun
  • Leapmotor, meanwhile, maintained rapid growth, with deliveries topping 100,000 cars a month since July.
    — Matthew Tan,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • By merging the two failing car companies, Marchionne created the seventh-largest vehicle manufacturer in the world, increasing Fiat’s value more than tenfold.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of car
Noun
  • The crackdown extended beyond the protest venue, with police stopping buses, cars and other vehicles at checkpoints on routes into the capital and searching for demonstrators.
    — Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Before opening Creola, Lagomarsini oversaw a string of pop-ups, including a recent dinner series inspired by the Club from Nowhere, the civil-rights activist Georgia Gilmore’s kitchen network, which fed and funded the Montgomery bus boycott.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of bus
Noun
  • The worst idea is a finalized regulatory rule — rolling back fuel economy standards for automobiles that had been strengthened during the Biden administration.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In 2025, the Chinese battery maker CATL unveiled an automobile battery that relies on traditional chemistry to charge in just five minutes; the company also has perfected the mass production of next-generation sodium-ion batteries.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of automobile
Noun
  • Lab technician Aleksej Kubelka carefully opened the large machine and slid out a tray.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers at Fudan University in China have bypassed onboard storage entirely by turning the ground beneath the machine into a power supply.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of machine
Noun
  • Other times, a bike maker can slap on a new paint job, a different set of wheels and a cushier seat, and somehow end up with a bike that sells like hotcakes.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Designed for ranch work and rugged driving, the Terra pickup features green paint, 37-inch tires on 18-inch wheels, heavy-duty side steps, a front bull bar, a roof basket with lights, and expanded cargo-bed storage.
    — Chase Jordan October 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of wheels

Browse Nearby Words

motor ships
motor vehicle
motor vehicles
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motor vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motor%20vehicle. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on motor vehicle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor vehicle

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