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Synonyms

drive-in

American  
[drahyv-in] / ˈdraɪvˌɪn /

noun

  1. a place of business or public facility designed to accommodate patrons who sit in their automobiles, as a movie theater with an outdoor screen facing the parking area or a restaurant where servers bring food out to be eaten in the parked automobiles.

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of such an establishment.

    Drive-in business far exceeded walk-in business.
drive-in British  

adjective

  1. denoting a public facility or service designed to be used by patrons seated in their cars

    a drive-in bank
"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

noun

  1. a cinema designed to be used in such a manner

"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 drive-in

An Americanism first recorded in 1925–30; noun, adjective use of verb phrase drive in

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.

And drive-in chain Sonic has encouraged customers to “make it dirty” by ordering creamer and mix-ins with their sodas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

"We've been inspired by some brand new owners that understood the risk and came up to the challenge, and are determined to maintain a drive-in theater business," said Vogel.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

Film buffs sit snugly in cars watching a drive-in movie, munching popcorn on a lovely recent fall night.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

The diner, which Musk has been planning since 2018, is set to have lots of superchargers for electric vehicles and two drive-in movie screens.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

That was even before I found out that Jillian was going to work at the drive-in with me.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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.