English · Science & Technology
autonomous vehicle
/ɔːˈtɒn.ə.məs ˈviː.ɪ.kəl/
[/ɔːˈtɒn.ə.məs ˈviː.ɪ.kəl/]
self-driving vehicle
Advancednoun
Definition
A vehicle that can drive itself using sensors and computers, with little or no human control.
Example
The autonomous vehicle stopped smoothly at the crossing as soon as it detected a pedestrian.
The autonomous vehicle stopped smoothly at the crossing as soon as it detected a pedestrian.
Etymology
Combining 'autonomous' (Greek 'autonomos', self-governing) and 'vehicle' (Latin 'vehiculum').
How & Where It’s Used
Also called self-driving cars; a major area of modern engineering.