cyborg
Americannoun
-
cyborgs
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cyborg
1960–65; cyb(ernetic) org(anism)
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How does cyborg compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An organism that is partly mechanical and partly biological is a cyborg. The Star Wars character Darth Vader is a good example of a cyborg: he's a person whose body has been improved through technology. He's mainly, but not entirely, human. The term cyborg was coined in 1960, from cybernetic and organism, and since then it's mainly been used in fiction and as a theoretical concept. The meaning of this word has changed over time as science fiction ideas (from virtual reality to artificial heart valves) increasingly become real. Some people think that individuals using any kind of internal medical device, from pacemakers to cochlear implants, could technically be classified as cyborgs.
Vocabulary lists containing cyborg
Portmanteaus: Vocab Mash-Ups
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Science Fiction Lingo
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The Cardboard Kingdom
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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:
From there, options multiply: If you’re ready to go full cyborg, models with in-lens displays from Meta and others are now less than a grand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Others joked that he was a "cyborg" or emulating Hollywood actor Top Cruise in Top Gun, the 1986 movie that made wearing aviators a fashion statement.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026
The cyborg has yet to reveal a specific answer.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2025
It follows a private security cyborg, known as a “SecUnit,” who hacks its governing module, allowing it newfound autonomy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2025
She found herself in a basement that was an architectural cyborg.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
At Caltech, researchers have turned living jellyfish into low-cost, remotely controlled ocean robots — creating real-life cyborgs for deep-sea exploration and environmental sensing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
Most people don't want to look like cyborgs: "We need to make our products actually look like existing eyewear."
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2025
Like fictional police officer Alex Murphy who is remade into RoboCop, these real-life cyborgs act via algorithms rather than free will.
From Salon ● May 13, 2025
If cyborgs aren’t your thing, look away — but then you’d be missing one of the most welcomingly clangorous and charming tracks of 2023.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
There were humans, cyborgs, demons, dark elves, Vulcans, and vampires.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
