Why some people call engines “motors”

People often call engines “motors” because everyday language, law, and industry branding have long treated the words as interchangeable, even though a technical distinction exists: an engine typically converts fuel’s thermal energy into motion, while a motor usually converts non-thermal energy (most commonly electricity) into motion. In practice—thanks to terms like “motor vehicle,” “motor oil,” and “motorway,” plus global language influences—“motor” remains a common catch-all in conversation and the marketplace.

Where the words came from

Etymology and early usage

Both words trace back to ideas of movement. “Engine” entered English via Old French and Latin, long associated with devices and contrivances—from siege engines to steam engines—well before cars existed. “Motor” comes from the Latin motor, meaning “mover,” and surged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the automobile and electric machinery spread. That’s when phrases like “motorcar,” “motorist,” and “motor industry” took hold, cementing “motor” in public vocabulary regardless of the power source involved.

How engineers draw the line

The technical distinction

In engineering contexts, a distinction helps avoid ambiguity: an engine converts chemical energy via combustion into mechanical work (think gasoline or diesel), while a motor converts non-thermal energy—typically electrical, but also hydraulic or pneumatic—into mechanical work. Standards bodies and textbooks commonly teach this split to keep designs, diagnostics, and specifications clear.

Why everyday usage blurs that line

Law, industry, and media

Regulation and branding heavily shape the words we use. Laws across many countries classify cars as “motor vehicles,” and agencies, insurers, and courts echo that phrasing. Automakers and publishers—from General Motors to Motor Trend—have reinforced “motor” as the go-to popular term for anything that propels a vehicle. Over time, this institutional repetition normalized “motor” in public speech, even when the device is technically an internal combustion engine.

Global language influence

In several major languages—German (Motor), French (moteur), Spanish (motor), Italian (motore)—the cognate covers both engine and motor. Global manufacturing, marketing, and translation flows feed that dual meaning back into English, especially outside specialist circles.

Electric vehicles are reshaping usage

A clearer split—mostly

The rise of EVs has nudged public language closer to the technical split: people increasingly say “electric motor” for EV drivetrains and “engine” for gasoline or diesel. Still, phrases like “motor mount” or “Motor City” linger, and many casual conversations use “motor” as a generic stand-in for the vehicle’s powerplant, whatever it is.

Main reasons people call engines “motors”

The following points summarize why “motor” persists as a common label for engines despite the technical difference.

• Historical momentum: early automotive culture popularized “motorcar,” “motorist,” and “motor industry.”
• Legal terminology: laws and agencies widely use “motor vehicle,” reinforcing the term in everyday life.
• Branding and media: company names and magazines normalized “motor” across audiences.
• Cross-language influence: many languages use a single word akin to “motor” for both concepts.
• Colloquial convenience: “motor” is short, familiar, and broadly understood.
• Context usually disambiguates: in car talk, listeners infer whether the device burns fuel or runs on electricity.

Together, these forces make “motor” the default public term in many contexts, even when “engine” would be the precise technical label for combustion systems.

Which word to use when

These practical guidelines help you choose the term that best fits your audience and context.

1. Technical writing and engineering: use “engine” for combustion, “motor” for electric/hydraulic/pneumatic devices.
2. Automotive service and parts: follow industry norms—ICE components reference the “engine,” EV drivetrain the “motor.”
3. Legal and policy contexts: use the terms found in statutes or regulations (often “motor vehicle”).
4. General journalism and consumer content: prefer clarity; specify “gasoline engine” or “electric motor” when it matters.
5. Conversation: either term will usually be understood; when precision matters, say “engine” for combustion and “electric motor” for EVs.

Applying these conventions keeps communication clear without fighting well-established everyday usage.

Summary

People call engines “motors” because history, law, branding, and global language have long treated “motor” as the everyday term for a vehicle’s power source. Technically, an engine burns fuel and a motor uses non-thermal energy—especially electricity. As EVs proliferate, that distinction is growing more familiar to the public, but in common speech “motor” still comfortably covers both.

Should I say engine or motor?

“Motor and engine are interchangeable in standard English.

Do cars use engines or motors?

A gasoline car has an engine, while an electric car has one or more motors. Hybrid cars have both an engine and a motor, with a starter motor in gasoline cars as well. The key difference is that engines convert fuel’s chemical energy into motion (e.g., burning gasoline), whereas motors convert existing energy, typically electricity from a battery, into mechanical power.
 
Engines

• Definition: A machine that converts fuel into motion, usually through combustion. 
• Power Source: Internal combustion, meaning they burn fuel (gasoline or diesel) to create power. 
• Example: A typical car with a gasoline or diesel engine has one. 

Motors 

• Definition: A machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
• Power Source: Electricity, typically from a battery.
• Example: Electric cars use one or more electric motors for propulsion.

Hybrid Cars

• Definition: Opens in new tabA vehicle that uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor for power. 
• How they work: Opens in new tabThey combine the benefits of both types of propulsion, using the engine for general driving and the electric motor for efficiency or assisting the engine. 

Why is a motor called a motor?

“We use the words interchangeably now,” says Fuller. “But originally, they meant very different things.” “Motor” is rooted in the Classical Latin movere, “to move.” It first referred to propulsive force, and later, to the person or device that moved something or caused movement.

Why do people call car engines motors?

People call engines “motors” because the words have become largely synonymous, with “motor” derived from the Latin for “to move” and “engine” from the Latin for “character” or “talent”. While in strict engineering terms, an engine creates power from consuming fuel and an electric motor converts external electrical power into motion, the common usage of “motor” to mean any power-producing unit that imparts motion has led to the interchangeability of the terms. 
Origins of the words

• Motor: Comes from the Latin verb movere, meaning “to move”. 
• Engine: Comes from the Latin word ingenium, which originally referred to character, talent, or intellect. 

Evolution of meaning

• The meanings of “engine” and “motor” began to converge in the early 19th century, with both terms referring to a mechanism that provides propulsive force. 
• The Oxford English Dictionary defines both as machines with moving parts that convert power into motion, further contributing to their interchangeability. 

Why the confusion?

• General usage: Many people, particularly in non-engineering contexts, consider the terms interchangeable because their intended meaning is clear. 
• Etymological drift: The original, more precise distinctions have blurred over time with general usage. 
• Company names: Automotive companies like General Motors and Honda incorporate “motor” in their names, even though their vehicles have internal combustion engines. 

The technical distinction (for context)

• A true motor receives power from an external source and converts it into mechanical energy. 
• A true engine creates its own power from a chemical reaction, such as the burning of fuel. 

Ultimately, while “engine” is technically more accurate for a device that burns fuel, using “motor” is widely accepted in common conversation.