auto

English Online Dictionary. What means auto‎? What does auto mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɔːtəʊ/, [ˈɔː.təʊ]
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈɔtoʊ/, [ˈɔ.ɾoʊ]
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɑtoʊ/, [ˈɑ.ɾoʊ]
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈoːtəʉ/, [ˈoː.təʉ], /ˈoːtɐʉ/, [ˈoː.tɐʉ]
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈoːtɐʉ/, [ˈoː.tɐʉ]
• Rhymes: -ɔːtəʊ
• Hyphenation: au‧to
• Homophones: Otto, otto (cot–caught merger)

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”), metanalyzed from auto- in words such as automatic, autopilot, and automobile.

Adjective

auto (not comparable)

1. (automotive) Clipping of automatic (of a gearbox/transmission).

Noun

auto (countable and uncountable, plural autos)

2. (now chiefly attributive) Clipping of automobile.
3. (uncountable) A setting for automatic operation.

   Synonym: automatic

   Antonym: manual

4. (automotive) An automatic gearbox/transmission.

5. (automotive) A car with an automatic gearbox/transmission.

Synonyms

• (automobile, attributively): automobile, car, motorcar; motor

Derived terms

Verb

auto (third-person singular simple present autos, present participle autoing, simple past and past participle autoed)

1. (intransitive, dated) To travel by automobile.

Etymology 2

Clipping of autorickshaw, from Hindi ऑटो रिक्शा (ŏṭo rikśā).

Noun

auto (plural autos)

1. (India) An autorickshaw.

See also

• tuk-tuk

Anagrams

• aout, outa

Basque

Etymology

Clipping of automobil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /au̯to/ [au̯.t̪o]
• Rhymes: -au̯to, -o
• Hyphenation: au‧to

Noun

auto inan

1. automobile, car

   Synonyms: kotxe, beribil

   Xabier auto berria erosi du. ― Xabier has bought a new car.

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “auto”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy] (in Basque), Euskaltzaindia [Royal Academy of the Basque Language]
• “auto”, in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], Euskaltzaindia, 1987–2005

Catalan

Etymology

Clipping of automòbil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈaw.tu]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈaw.to]

Noun

auto m (plural autos)

1. car; automobile

Further reading

• “auto”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April
• “auto”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “auto” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “auto” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Cimbrian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian auto, a clipping of automobile.

Noun

auto m

1. (Luserna) car, automobile

References

• Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

Czech

Etymology

Clipping of automobil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈau̯to]
• Hyphenation: au‧to

Noun

auto n (diminutive autíčko)

1. car, automobile

Declension

References

Further reading

• “auto”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “auto”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “auto”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French auto, from automobile. By surface analysis, clipping of automobiel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑu̯.toː/, /ˈoː.toː/
• Hyphenation: au‧to

Noun

auto m (plural auto's, diminutive autootje n)

1. car, automobile

   Synonyms: automobiel, bak, kar, wagen, waggie

   Hyponym: oldtimer

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Aukan: oto
• → Caribbean Hindustani: oto
• → Caribbean Javanese: oto
• → Indonesian: oto
• → Lokono: ôto
• → Papiamentu: outo
• → Sranan Tongo: oto
  • → Saramaccan: otó
  • → Trió: oto
• → West Frisian: auto

Estonian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑu̯to/, [ˈɑu̯tˑo]

Noun

auto (genitive auto, partitive autot)

1. car, automobile
2. (at second or later mention) any motor vehicle, including trucks, vans, and fire engines.

Declension

Finnish

Etymology

Clipping of automobiili; see it for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑu̯to/, [ˈɑ̝u̯t̪o̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑuto
• Syllabification^(key): au‧to
• Hyphenation^(key): au‧to

Noun

auto

1. car, automobile

Declension

Synonyms

• (formal) henkilöauto
• (all colloquial) kiesi, kosla, pirssi, kauppakassi, kaara, peltilehmä, ritsa, kottero, kumijalka, kärry, biili
• (archaic, now humorous) hyrysysy

Derived terms

Further reading

• “auto”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[5] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

• auot, outa

French

Etymology

Clipping of automobile.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o.to/, /ɔ.to/

Noun

auto f (plural autos)

1. car

   Synonyms: automobile, voiture

Descendants

• → Armenian: օթո (ōtʻo)
• → Mauritian Creole: loto
• → Moroccan Arabic: لوطو (lūṭu)
• → Turkish: oto
• → Vietnamese: ô tô

Anagrams

• août

Inari Sami

Etymology

Borrowed from Finnish auto.

Noun

auto

1. car

Inflection

Alternative forms

• avdo

References

Interlingua

Etymology

Shortened form of automobile, from Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”).

Noun

auto (plural autos)

1. car, automobile

   Synonym: automobile

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.u.to/
• Rhymes: -auto
• Hyphenation: à‧u‧to

Etymology 1

Clipping of automobile.

Noun

auto f (invariable)

1. clipping of automobile: car

   Synonyms: automobile, macchina, vettura

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Cimbrian: auto

Etymology 2

Clipping of autobus.

Noun

auto m (invariable)

1. (regional) clipping of autobus: bus

   Synonym: autobus

Etymology 3

From Spanish and Portuguese auto (literally “act”).

Noun

auto m (invariable)

1. (historical, uncountable) auto (genre of dramatic literature)
2. (historical) an auto literary work

Related terms

• autodafé

References

Further reading

• auto¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• auto² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Japanese

Romanization

auto

1. Rōmaji transcription of アウト

Kari'na

Alternative forms

• atto (Venezuela)

Etymology

From Proto-Cariban *ôwtô; compare Wayana ëutë, Waiwai ïwtï, Akawaio öutö, Macushi ewîtî, Pemon autö, Ye'kwana öttö.

Pronunciation

• (Venezuela, West Suriname) IPA^(key): [awto]
• (East Suriname) IPA^(key): [awhto]

Noun

auto (possessed auty)

1. house, hut
2. home, dwelling in general

References

• Courtz, Hendrik (2008) A Carib grammar and dictionary‎^[6], Toronto: Magoria Books, →ISBN, page 248
• Ahlbrinck, Willem (1931) “auto”, in Encyclopaedie der Karaïben, Amsterdam: Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, page 117; republished as Willem Ahlbrinck, Doude van Herwijnen, transl., L'Encyclopédie des Caraïbes‎^[7], Paris, 1956, page 117

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈau̯.toː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈaːu̯.t̪o]

Adjective

autō

1. dative/ablative masculine/neuter singular of autus

Latvian

Etymology 1

Shortened form of automašīna.

Pronunciation

Noun

auto m (invariable)

1. (colloquial) car (automobile, a vehicle steered by a driver)

   Synonyms: automašīna, mašīna

Etymology 2

See aut.

Participle

auto

1. inflection of autais:
   1. vocative/accusative/instrumental singular masculine/feminine
   2. genitive plural masculine/feminine

Nauruan

Noun

auto

1. car

Neapolitan

Alternative forms

• avoto

Etymology

Inherited from Latin altus.

Adjective

auto (feminine singular auta, masculine plural aute, feminine plural aute)

1. tall
2. high (positionally)

Adverb

auto

1. high

References

• Giacco, Giuseppe (2003) “àuto-a”, in Schedario Napoletano

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from German Auto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaw.tɔ/
• Rhymes: -awtɔ
• Syllabification: au‧to
• Homophone: auto-

Noun

auto n (diminutive autko)

1. (colloquial) car, automobile

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:samochód

Declension

Further reading

• auto in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• auto in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• Homophone: alto (Brazil)
• Rhymes: -awtu

Etymology 1

Semi-learned borrowing from Latin āctus, perfect passive participle of agō (“to make, I do”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- (“to lead”). Doublet of ato and acto.

Noun

auto m (plural autos)

1. a public deed or ceremony

   Synonyms: solenidade, cerimônia

2. auto (a sub-genre of dramatic literature)
3. (dated) act; deed

   Synonyms: feito, ato, ação

4. act (record of an accomplishment)
5. document that is part of a lawsuit or court case
6. narration or description of an event made by a public authority and which serves as evidence of such event (e.g. a traffic citation)

Derived terms

• (public deed): auto-da-fé

Etymology 2

Clipping of automóvel.

Noun

auto m (plural autos)

1. (Portugal) automobile; car

   Synonyms: automóvel, carro, veículo

Related terms

• auto-

Romagnol

Etymology

Clipping of automòbila.

Pronunciation

• (Central Romagnol): IPA^(key): [ˈaɐ̯uto]

Noun

auto f (invariable)

1. car

   Synonym: automòbila

Derived terms

• auto-

References

• Masotti, Adelmo (1996) Vocabolario Romagnolo Italiano [Romagnol-Italian dictionary] (in Italian), Bologna: Zanichelli, page 46

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Clipping of automòbīl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ǎuto/
• Hyphenation: a‧u‧to

Noun

àuto m inan or n (Cyrillic spelling а̀уто)

1. car, automobile

   Synonym: kola

   Ne možeš da uzmeš auto, jer nema benzina. ― You can’t take the car, because there isn’t any gas.

Usage notes

• While the masculine form is preferred across all standards, the neuter gender is often found both in Serbian and Croatian dialects ("plavo auto" instead of "plavi auto"). In some regions (e.g. parts of Dalmatia), the word is almost always used in its neuter form. When the word is used with neuter gender, the declension changes accordingly.

Declension

References

• “auto”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈau̯tɔ/

Noun

auto n (relational adjective autový, diminutive autíčko)

1. car

Declension

Further reading

• “auto”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈauto/ [ˈau̯.t̪o]
• Rhymes: -auto
• Syllabification: au‧to

Etymology 1

Clipping of automóvil, from Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”).

Noun

auto m (plural autos)

1. (Southern Cone, Andes, Mexico, Philippines) car, automobile

   Synonyms: automóvil, (Mexico, Central America, Caribbean America, Colombia, Venezuela) carro, (Philippines, Spain) coche

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Early borrowing from Latin actus. Doublet of the later borrowing acto.

Noun

auto m (plural autos)

1. (law, formal) order, writ, resolution
2. (literature) short play from the Middle Ages or the Renaissance

Derived terms

Further reading

• “auto”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

West Frisian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch auto, from French auto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔu̯toː/

Noun

auto c (plural auto's)

1. A car, an automobile.