NPC

abbreviation or noun

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 NPCsTimothy 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 NPCEsther 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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
By Megan Carnegie Welcome Adventurer AI Can Give You an NPC That Remembers. Reece Rogers, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024 The most important news item occurred after the market close as Reuters reported the NPC will approve RMB 10 trillion ($1.4 trillion) of fiscal stimulus, the equivalent to 8% of GDP via special bond issuance, sending US-China ADRs higher pre-market. Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Hong Kong's downdraft this week exposed the fragility of China's recent bull market, as investors await more stimulus and consumer support confirmations from the National People's Congress (NPC), which is expected to convene in the coming weeks. Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 No further request was made to Paris 2024 by the Iranian NPC, but the two extensions were not sufficient. Ben Morse, CNN, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for NPC 

Word History

First Known Use

1991, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of NPC was in 1991

Dictionary Entries Near NPC

Cite this Entry

“NPC.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/NPC. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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