'autobus' originates from French, specifically the word 'autobus', where the prefix 'auto-' meant 'self' and 'omnibus' (often shortened to 'bus') meant 'for all'.

'autobus' changed from the French word 'autobus' (late 19th century), which itself combined Greek/Latin-derived 'auto-' and the Latin 'omnibus' (from 'omnis' meaning 'all'); the term was adopted into English as 'autobus' and later generalized to 'bus'.

Initially it referred specifically to a 'self-propelled vehicle for public transport' (a motorized omnibus), and over time the form shortened to 'bus' while retaining the same general meaning of a vehicle for carrying multiple passengers.