NPC

abbreviation or noun

ˌen-ˌpē-ˈsē 

plural NPCs

1

: a character in a video game that does not represent and cannot be manipulated by a player

NPCs can be programmed to detect and react to what is happening in the game …

—Robin Johnson

The pigeon barista served coffee to players and NPCs at The Roost Café in previous Animal Crossing installments …

—Elise Nelson

Believe me, as someone who has been paralyzed by a mob of angry zombies, it leads to an authentic feeling of … relief and gratitude when your NPC teammate saves you from a gruesome fate.

—Scott Rigby and Richard M. Ryan

called also non-player character

compare avatar sense 1

2

: a character in a role-playing board game, card game, or live-action game that is controlled or performed by an organizer, facilitator, or supporting participant

… the Dungeon Master exists to keep the world moving for the players. This usually entails rolling all the dice for the NPCs …

—Timothy Christopher

… when I first encountered [Dungeons & Dragons] I only played it once, with my mother and younger brother. … I clearly remember her inability to role-play the healing cleric NPC …

—Esther MacCallum-Stewart

At the Hudson Park Library show, we spoke with the people who played the NPCs. … Both of them first experienced the show as players in past productions, but volunteered to play NPC roles.

—Charles Battersby

called also non-player character

Examples of NPC in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the measure was aimed at advancing the governance of ethnic affairs under the rule of law. —Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a press conference on China’s foreign policy and external relations on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) on March 8, 2026 in Beijing, China. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026

The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Iran planned to have one athlete, Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, compete in cross-country skiing at these Games. —Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026

At first blush, Thursday’s opening of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) looked ominous for Taiwan. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined at sense 1