motor vehicle

noun

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

Synonyms of motor vehicle

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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.
The biggest bear killers by far in Central Florida are motor vehicles, blamed for killing 1,545 bears in the region in the past 10 years, including 219 in 2025, the most since 2021 when 242 bears died on the region’s roadways. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 In California, a total of 145 cyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2023, according to a 2025 study by UC Berkley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center. — Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026 The misdemeanor charges listed on the jail records were operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated — endangering person. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 That funding would have come from existing sales taxes generated from motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and fuel taxes. — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 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

motor unit
motor vehicle
motor vessel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motor vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/motor%20vehicle. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

motor vehicle

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

More from Merriam-Webster on motor vehicle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about motor vehicle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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