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auto

1 American  
[aw-toh] / ˈɔ toʊ /

noun

plural

autos

  1. automobile.

adjective

  1. of or relating to automobiles.

    an auto salesman; auto detailing.
auto- 2 American  

  1. a combining form meaning “self,” “same,” “spontaneous,” used in the formation of compound words.

    autograph, autodidact.
auto- 3 American  

  1. a combining form representing automobile in compound words.

    autocade.
auto- 4 American  

  1. a combining form representing automatic in compound words: autoalarm; autofeed; autofocus . Sometimes also taken as an adjective.

    auto enlarger; auto stop control; auto dialer.
auto. 5 American  

abbreviation

  1. automatic.

  2. automobile.

  3. automotive.

auto 1 British  
/ ˈɔːtəʊ /

noun

    1. short for automobile

    2. ( as modifier )

      auto parts

  2. informal short for autorickshaw

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
auto- 2 British  

combining form

  1. self; same; of or by the same one

    autobiography

  2. acting from or occurring within; self-caused

    autohypnosis

  3. self-propelling; automatic

    automobile
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of auto1

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; by shortening

Origin of auto-2

< Greek, combining form of autós self

Origin of auto-3

auto

Explanation

An auto is a car. If you drive your auto too fast, you might get a speeding ticket. The word auto is an informal, shortened form of automobile. You're most likely to hear the word auto when someone's talking about insurance, auto parts, or the auto industry. Automobile was originally a French word, formed from the Greek autos, or "self," and the French mobile, "moving."

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Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Consumer- and community-banking revenue was up 6.9% to $19.57 billion, amid a 13% jump in revenue in the card service and auto business to $7.8 billion.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

The potential payoff for Amazon extends beyond grabbing a chunk of the auto sales business.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Statistics Canada notes that for the third consecutive month a greater number of Canadian residents returned from overseas by air than from the U.S. by auto.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

The $15 billion market capitalization Genuine Parts aims to separate into two entities, auto parts and industrial parts, in early 2027.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

“Class of seventy-four. A lot of older alums moved away. Lambert lost a lot of jobs when I-26 was built to the north and then again when the textile plant and auto factory shut down.”

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.