humanoid
humanoid Lexical Profile
humanoid Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having an appearance, anatomical structure, or characteristics resembling those of a human being.
"The engineering team unveiled a humanoid robot capable of walking up stairs and manipulating delicate tools."
• noun
A hypothetical, mythical, or extraterrestrial being, or an automated machine, whose body shape and posture resemble those of a human.
"Science fiction literature frequently features intelligent humanoids from distant star systems."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'humanoid' with 'hominid': 'humanoid' is a general or fictional term for any creature or machine that resembles the human form, whereas 'hominid' is a strict biological term for members of the taxonomic family Hominidae (humans and great apes).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century in anthropological writing from 'human' and the suffix '-oid' (from Ancient Greek 'eidos', meaning 'form' or 'shape'), and later popularized by 20th-century science fiction and robotics.