vehicles

IPA/ˈvɪə.kəl/
KK[vˈihɪkəlz]IPA/ˈviː.ə.kəl/

vehicles — noun

  • vehiclessingular
  • vehiclesesplural

1. A car, bus, truck, or similar machine that runs on roads and is used to carry pe

1.nounB1
Definition

A car, bus, truck, or similar machine that runs on roads and is used to carry people or goods from one place to another.

Example

Devika parked her vehicle in the underground garage before going to work.

The mechanic checked every part of Justin’s vehicle before the long trip across the country.

Common collocations
  • motor vehicle
  • road vehicle
  • parked vehicle
  • vehicle registration
  • delivery vehicle
  • electric vehicle
Synonyms
  • car

    most common specific type; narrower meaning

  • automobile

    formal North American term; same meaning but less frequent in speech

  • conveyance

    very formal or legal term; rarely used in conversation

Usage Note

In everyday conversation, people usually name the specific type (car, bus, lorry) rather than saying vehicle.

Common Mistakes

I ride my vehicle to school.
I ride my bike / take the bus to school.
vehicle usually implies a motorised road machine, not a bicycle or scooter.
The vehicle ran out of fuel.
The car / truck ran out of fuel.
vehicle sounds too formal for most everyday situations; use the specific name instead.

2. Something that people use as a way to reach a goal, share an idea, or bring abou

2.nounB2
Definition

Something that people use as a way to reach a goal, share an idea, or bring about a result — for example, using art to express feelings, or using education to improve your life.

Example

The local newspaper became a vehicle for spreading democratic ideas across the region.

pattern: vehicle for + gerund

Paloma believes that art is a powerful vehicle for expressing emotions that words cannot capture.

Common collocations
  • vehicle for change
  • vehicle for expression
  • vehicle for reform
  • serve as a vehicle
  • effective vehicle
Synonyms
  • medium

    similar meaning but more general; used for any channel of communication or expression

  • means

    broader term that includes methods, not just channels; often paired with of

  • tool

    more practical and hands-on; less metaphorical than vehicle

Grammar Patterns

vehicle for (something)

Usage Note

Frequently followed by for + noun/gerund. The subject is usually an abstract thing (system, platform, activity) rather than a person.

Common Mistakes

I used English as vehicle to get a job.
I used English as a vehicle for getting a better job.
vehicle needs the article a in this figurative sense.

3. A film, television programme, or live event that is created or chosen mainly to

3.nounC1
Definition

A film, television programme, or live event that is created or chosen mainly to show what a particular actor, singer, or performer can do with their abilities.

Example

The new action movie is the perfect vehicle for the actor’s impressive stunt work.

collocation: perfect vehicle for

This talent show became a vehicle that launched several young singers onto the music scene.

Common collocations
  • perfect vehicle for
  • vehicle for a star
  • comedy vehicle
  • star vehicle
  • action vehicle
Synonyms
  • showcase

    more direct term; a vehicle is a showcase for a performer’s talents

  • platform

    broader meaning; can refer to any opportunity to reach an audience

Usage Note

Almost always used in the context of show business. The preposition for introduces the performer whose talents are showcased.

4. An object, substance, or living organism that carries a disease or infection and

4.nounC1
Definition

An object, substance, or living organism that carries a disease or infection and passes it from one person or animal to another.

Example

Contaminated drinking water can be a vehicle for spreading cholera bacteria through a community.

pattern: vehicle for spreading [disease]

The research team identified ticks as a common vehicle for Lyme disease in forested areas.

Common collocations
  • vehicle of infection
  • vehicle for disease
  • potential vehicle
  • common vehicle
  • act as a vehicle
Synonyms
  • carrier

    more common in everyday medical contexts; a person or animal that carries a disease without showing symptoms

  • vector

    technical term in biology; a living thing that transmits infection (e.g., mosquitoes for malaria)

Grammar Patterns

vehicle for (disease)

vehicle of (infection)

Usage Note

Common in medical and public-health writing. In everyday speech, people usually say carrier or transmitter instead of vehicle.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words refer to machines used for transport, they differ in scope and register. Car is the most common everyday term, used for a private four-wheeled passenger vehicle. Automobile is a formal or technical synonym for car, common in American English legal and industrial contexts but rare in casual conversation. Conveyance is a broad legal or formal term covering any means of transport—including carts, sleds, or even bicycles—so it sounds overly general in everyday use. Truck specifically refers to a vehicle designed mainly for carrying goods rather than passengers. In ordinary speech, a learner is safest using car for passenger transport and truck for goods; vehicle works well in official or written contexts where the exact type is unknown or unimportant.

car ↗automobile ↗conveyance ↗truck ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • motor vehicle
  • road vehicle
  • delivery vehicle
  • electric vehicle
  • vehicle registration

Prepositions

  • vehicle for
  • vehicle of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word vehicle comes from the Latin vehiculum, meaning “a carriage, a means of transport,” which was formed from the verb vehere (“to carry, to convey”). It entered English through French (véhicule) in the early 1600s. Originally it referred broadly to any medium that carries something, including liquids in medicine. The modern sense of a wheeled machine for road travel became dominant in the 1800s with the rise of trains and automobiles. The figurative meanings (medium for ideas, showcase for a performer, disease carrier) all draw on the core notion of “something that transports or conveys.”

First known use

1612

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 4a