humanoid

1 of 2

adjective

hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid  ˈyü- 

: having human form or characteristics

humanoid dentition

humanoid robots

humanoid

2 of 2

noun

plural humanoids

: a humanoid being : a nonhuman creature or being with characteristics (such as the ability to walk upright) resembling those of a human

Why do people respond so strongly to penguins? First, they stand straight and walk upright, like us, so we see them as little humanoids—a convention of headwaiters, ten thousand nuns, plump babies in snowsuits.

—Diane Ackerman

Those tales of the deep blended narratives of voyages of exploration … with fantastic additions drawn from an ancient repertoire of sea monsters and mutant humanoids.

—Simon Schama

Did you know?

A humanoid robot, sometimes called an android, is a robot that resembles a human. Accounts of the yeti, Sasquatch, and Bigfoot continue to fascinate us mainly because of their humanoid characteristics. The idea of creating a monstrous humanoid, such as the Jewish golem or Victor Frankenstein's creation, has intrigued us for centuries. "Humanoid Animation" is a standard for creating humanlike figures for video that lets the same figure be used in a variety of 3-D games—some of which have nothing but humanoids for characters.

Examples of humanoid in a Sentence

Adjective

The movie is about humanoid aliens invading Earth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Video Ad Feedback Companies race to make humanoid household robots a reality 02:19 - Source: CNN Top headlines • Who is Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director? —Daniel Wine, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024

Other catalysts Irwin thinks will boost Tesla’s growth include a more relaxed regulatory environment to accommodate its future robotaxi launch, its leadership in artificial intelligence through its self-driving software and its commercial potential in robotics, particularly humanoid robots. —Pia Singh, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2024

Noun

If anybody comes around with a test to detect humanoids, maybe Ridley Scott and his associates should hide. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024

That’s where Agility’s humanoid bot Digit, trained by AI to carry out tasks, comes in. —Chris Stokel-Walker, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1918, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

humanoid

adjective

hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid 

ˈyü-

: having human form or characteristics

humanoid noun

Medical Definition

humanoid

adjective

hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid  ˈyü- 

: having human form or characteristics

humanoid dentition

humanoid noun