android
noun
an automaton in the form of a human being.
android
American
[an-droid]
/ ˈæn drɔɪd /
noun
androids
plural
Android
1
British
/ ˈændrɔɪd /
noun
-
a software package for smartphones, including many application programs
-
a smartphone that uses this software
android
2
British
/ ˈændrɔɪd /
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of android
From the New Latin word androīdēs, dating back to 1720–30. See andr-, -oid
Compare meaning
How does android compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An android is a robot that looks and acts like a human being. Sometimes they have fake skin that looks so real you can’t tell the difference. For all you know, the person sitting next to you is an android. Life’s biggest question: What’s the difference between cyborgs and androids? Cyborgs are humans with robot parts added to them, and androids start as robots and then get designed to look like humans. The Latin root androides literally means “resembling a man,” and androids really know how to blend in. Androids mostly appear in science fiction novels and films, but who knows, maybe you’re friends with an android and you don’t even know it. Yet.
Vocabulary lists containing android
Science Fiction Lingo
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A Very Large Expanse of Sea
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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But an android that can do a bit of everything is still years off.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Instead of husband President Donald Trump at her side, it was the "Figure 3" android that accompanied Melania down the famous red carpet.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
The android knows how to navigate the planet’s threats—exploding spike plants, acid-spitting eels, literal razor grass—so Dek reluctantly teams up with her to find his quarry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025
She’s spent her whole life being cared for by android robots while her parents are away, and stockpiling perishable resources and doomsday goods for when wildfires become too widespread to ignore.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2025
A messenger android holding a briefcase stood in front of them, a bit off to the side.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The commission, the 27-nation bloc's antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to restrict competition.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
The Swiss competition authority announced Tuesday it had opened a preliminary investigation into Google's removal of the "choice screen" feature on Android devices in Switzerland.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
It has been downloaded more than a billion times across iOS and Android devices, with millions still logging on each day.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
“I’m never going to understand why some companies refuse to incorporate Apple CarPlay or Android Whatever into premium-priced vehicles, ” wrote Chris Bergman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
“The Android Look was not a good one for me.”
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Do androids dream of electric balls and strikes—plus some other questions on baseball’s Opening Day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
From the Skywalkers’ fussy protocol droid C-3PO to Hera Syndulla’s cranky astromech Chopper, lovable androids are a “Star Wars” signature.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025
We are already familiar with cyborgs and the use of artificial intelligence androids, or synths, which we’ve seen time and time again in each movie.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2025
The filmmaker, whose film stars Will Smith as a detective sceptical of seemingly obedient androids, accused Musk of copying his work in a post on X.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2024
Rick said, “I took a test, one question, and verified it; I’ve begun to empathize with androids, and look what that means. You said it this morning yourself. ‘Those poor andys.’
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
