bionic
Americanadjective
-
utilizing electronic devices and mechanical parts to assist humans in performing difficult, dangerous, or intricate tasks, as by supplementing or duplicating parts of the body.
The scientist used a bionic arm to examine the radioactive material.
-
Informal. having superhuman strength or capacity.
-
of or relating to bionics.
adjective
-
of or relating to bionics
-
(in science fiction) having certain physiological functions augmented or replaced by electronic equipment
the bionic man
Other Word Forms
- bionically adverb
Etymology
Origin of bionic
1955–60; bio- + (electro)nic; bionics
Explanation
Something that's bionic is artificial but made to work as if it were real. Some people with vision loss have had bionic eyes implanted to restore their sight. In medicine, bionic devices are used to replace missing or failing body parts. These are different from prostheses, or artificial limbs, because they copy exactly (or even exceed) the biology of the original part. Bionic body parts first entered popular culture in the 1970s, when the TV show The Six Million Dollar Man told the story of an injured astronaut whose bionic implants (a bionic eye, legs, and arm) gave him superhuman powers.
Vocabulary lists containing bionic
Words to Live By: Bio
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Portmanteaus: Vocab Mash-Ups
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
bio
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In many videos on social media, fitness influencers go through squats and arm lifts in the bionic suit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
That inspired him to work on bionic limbs.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
Steel-cut or Irish oats, on the other hand, are practically bionic — too sturdy to surrender to mere soaking, and still pebble-firm come morning.
From Salon • Nov. 13, 2025
For some, bionic vision might be required to see that future, though.
From BBC • Oct. 12, 2024
The only really bad thing about my bionic Lobot hearing aids was the fact that I couldn’t wear a baseball cap anymore.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
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.
