humanoid

1 of 2

adjective

hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid How to pronounce humanoid (audio) ˈyü- How to pronounce humanoid (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Helix is the very first of its kind to be put into a humanoid robot. New Atlas, 21 Feb. 2025 With the global demand for humanoid robots projected to reach $38 billion by 2035, according to Goldman Sachs, Unitree is positioning itself at the forefront of this burgeoning industry. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight The firm said the electric vehicle maker is well positioned in the humanoid robotics space. Michael Bloom, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025 This hilarious half-hour of TV follows an alien (Alan Tudyk) who crash-lands outside a small Colorado town while on a mission to kill all humanoids. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for humanoid

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1918, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of humanoid was in 1870

Cite this Entry

“Humanoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humanoid. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

humanoid

adjective
hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid How to pronounce humanoid (audio)
ˈyü-
: having human form or characteristics
humanoid noun

Medical Definition

humanoid

adjective
hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid How to pronounce humanoid (audio) ˈyü- How to pronounce humanoid (audio)
: having human form or characteristics
humanoid dentition
humanoid noun

More from Merriam-Webster on humanoid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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