android
Americannoun
-
androids
plural
noun
-
a software package for smartphones, including many application programs
-
a smartphone that uses this software
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
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!
A Very Large Expanse of Sea
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!
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
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.
See Examples For:
Hirokazu Kore-eda directs this muddled film about grieving parents who adopt an android copy of their dead son.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
One of the festival’s big themes seems to be connection: that we’re all stuck on this rock together and, ultimately, the difference between human and android, man and woman, is moot.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 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
A new lawsuit alleges Google’s chatbot sent a Florida man on missions to find an android body it could inhabit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
“You...could say that I’m Josie’s nanny,” the android said, her voice hitching oddly.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
![]()
A few weeks ago, I biked to meet a source for coffee, since my Android phone’s AccuWeather widget had seemingly projected a low, low chance of precipitation in the area.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
Released in February, the app has roughly 110,000 downloads on Android, with most of the users in the United States and Canada, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Travellers attempting to buy tickets using the old app were prompted to visit the app store on their Apple or Android device to download the new version.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
“They have the Android and the iPhone, and that’s kind of how you’re going to use AI for now,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The Android Look was not a good one for me.”
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
![]()
The iPhone might be with us until the end of time, or until we ourselves become androids.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
The story follows a robot detective who is investigating a string of robot and human killings, and, like many sci-fi stories about androids and artificial intelligence, touches on themes like what makes humans human.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 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
Andy joins the longer history of a franchise wherein the androids are often at odds with Isaac Asimov’s classic Three Laws of Robotics.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2024
Like the androids, it had no ability to appreciate the existence of another.
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.