NPC

abbreviation or noun

ˌen-ˌpē-ˈsē 

plural NPCs

1

: a character in a video game that does not represent and cannot be manipulated by a player

NPCs can be programmed to detect and react to what is happening in the game …

—Robin Johnson

The pigeon barista served coffee to players and NPCs at The Roost Café in previous Animal Crossing installments …

—Elise Nelson

Believe me, as someone who has been paralyzed by a mob of angry zombies, it leads to an authentic feeling of … relief and gratitude when your NPC teammate saves you from a gruesome fate.

—Scott Rigby and Richard M. Ryan

called also non-player character

compare avatar sense 1

2

: a character in a role-playing board game, card game, or live-action game that is controlled or performed by an organizer, facilitator, or supporting participant

… the Dungeon Master exists to keep the world moving for the players. This usually entails rolling all the dice for the NPCs …

—Timothy Christopher

… when I first encountered [Dungeons & Dragons] I only played it once, with my mother and younger brother. … I clearly remember her inability to role-play the healing cleric NPC …

—Esther MacCallum-Stewart

At the Hudson Park Library show, we spoke with the people who played the NPCs. … Both of them first experienced the show as players in past productions, but volunteered to play NPC roles.

—Charles Battersby

called also non-player character

Examples of NPC in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In-game currency can be collected by recruiting NPC allies and unlocking items within the experience. —Kaare Eriksen, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025

But even after upgrading these NPC helpers felt extremely weak, and just taking on the challenge solo felt just as effective — their best use is being a distraction. —Scott McRae, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2025

To maintain fairness, all NPC conversation logs have been reset, allowing players to claim rewards again! —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025

This photo shows a general view of a screen broadcasting live footage of China’s President Xi Jinping attending the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) as seen outside a shopping mall in Beijing on March 5, 2025. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined at sense 1