humanoid

American  

[hyoo-muh-noid, yoo-] / ˈhyu məˌnɔɪd, ˈyu- /

adjective

1. having human characteristics or form; resembling human beings.

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noun

1. a humanoid being.

   to search for humanoids in outer space.

humanoid British  

/ ˈhjuːməˌnɔɪd /

adjective

1. like a human being in appearance

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noun

1. a being with human rather than anthropoid characteristics

2. (in science fiction) a robot or creature resembling a human being

Etymology

Origin of humanoid

First recorded in 1915–20; human + -oid

Explanation

Something that's humanoid looks or acts like a real, live human being — but it's not. A humanoid robot is one that's designed to resemble a person. Anthropologists coined the word humanoid in the 19th century, adding the suffix -oid, or "like," to human. Scientists once used it to talk about humanlike traits in non-human organisms, but today it nearly always describes an automaton or robot. In the Star Wars universe, droids like C-3PO are humanoid, while R2-D2, who doesn’t have arms and legs or a recognizable face, is not.

Example Sentences

The Optimus humanoid robot is still being developed, while Tesla’s robotaxi business is still slowly expanding.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

A humanoid robot with a good world model can act more humanlike, some researchers say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

China's X-Peng unveiled a new six-seater electric SUV, which chief executive He Xiapoeng said would soon be followed by humanoid robots this year.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Its lightning-fast processing time would be the envy of even Lightning, the humanoid robot that broke the world record in the half-marathon by nearly seven minutes.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

She’s some sort of mechanized humanoid, made up of spare computer parts, all the leafy green vegetables that no one ever eats and thesaurus pages.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen