cybernetic

American  

[sahy-ber-net-ik] / ˌsaɪ bərˈnɛt ɪk /

Rarely cybernetical

adjective

1. of or relating to cybernetics, the study of automatic control and communication functions in both living organisms and mechanical and electronic systems.

   The self-regulating engineering devices of the mid-20th century inspired the cybernetic image of the brain as a computer.

2. relating to or being a mechanical or electronic device implanted into or attached to a living organism to enhance or aid physiological functioning.

   In the sci-fi movie, the hero’s nemesis acquires a six-legged spider-like cybernetic apparatus to replace his lost lower body.

---

Other Word Forms

• cybernetically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cybernetic

First recorded in 1945–50; back formation from cybernetics ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cybernetic

He adds it is likely we'll see more cybernetic enhancements of the kind he has already trialled himself, so that "your brain and body can be in different places".

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026

They could then be fertilized before journey’s end, and the babies raised “under the tutelage of cybernetic nurses who would teach them their inheritance and their destiny when they were capable of understanding it.”

From Slate ● Dec. 9, 2025

Grimes’ filtered coos and hushed vocals approximate cybernetic birdsong.

From Salon ● Nov. 7, 2025

As always, he’s a blunt, far-reaching, fast-talking rapper who’s determined to engage on multiple fronts: political, cultural, mythmaking, cybernetic, sardonic and — now more than ever — personal.

From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2024

The nascent world of cyberspace is full of sysadmins, teachers, trainers, cybrarians, netgurus, and various species of cybernetic activist.

From The Hacker Crackdown, law and disorder on the electronic frontier by Bruce Sterling