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Synonyms

robotics

American  
[roh-bot-iks] / roʊˈbɒt ɪks /

noun

(used with a singular verb)
  1. the use of computer-controlled robots to perform manual tasks, especially on an assembly line.


robotics British  
/ rəʊˈbɒtɪks /

noun

  1. the science or technology of designing, building, and using robots

  2. another name for robot dancing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of robotics

1941; robot + -ics; coined by Isaac Asimov

Explanation

Robotics is the study of robots, or machines that are designed to do certain jobs. If you're fascinated with robots, you might want to study robotics in college. Robotics, the branch of science that studies the technology and uses of robots, involves various kinds of engineering and computer programming. While a robot is defined as a machine that can be programmed to do a job, many people interested in robotics (especially science fiction fans) think of them as a mechanical replacement for a human. Robotics comes from robot, from the Czech robotiti, "work or drudge."

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Vocabulary lists containing robotics

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.

Tesla, for its part, has plans to dominate U.S. robotics.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

UWE said Collins, a robotics student, was an "active member of student societies".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Intel joined Tesla and SpaceX’s Terafab project, aiming to produce 1 terawatt per year of compute for AI and robotics.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Musk has long sold his vision for Tesla to become the world’s most-valuable company, hypothesizing an eventual $30 trillion valuation on the strength of its robotics and AI products.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

And Hennessey and Khyler lost the robotics project they’ve been working on for over a year.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone