humanoid

1 of 2

adjective

hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid  ˈyü- 

: having human form or characteristics

humanoid dentition

humanoid robots

humanoid

2 of 2

noun

plural humanoids

: a humanoid being : a nonhuman creature or being with characteristics (such as the ability to walk upright) resembling those of a human

Why do people respond so strongly to penguins? First, they stand straight and walk upright, like us, so we see them as little humanoids—a convention of headwaiters, ten thousand nuns, plump babies in snowsuits.

—Diane Ackerman

Those tales of the deep blended narratives of voyages of exploration … with fantastic additions drawn from an ancient repertoire of sea monsters and mutant humanoids.

—Simon Schama

Did you know?

A humanoid robot, sometimes called an android, is a robot that resembles a human. Accounts of the yeti, Sasquatch, and Bigfoot continue to fascinate us mainly because of their humanoid characteristics. The idea of creating a monstrous humanoid, such as the Jewish golem or Victor Frankenstein's creation, has intrigued us for centuries. "Humanoid Animation" is a standard for creating humanlike figures for video that lets the same figure be used in a variety of 3-D games—some of which have nothing but humanoids for characters.

Examples of humanoid in a Sentence

Adjective

The movie is about humanoid aliens invading Earth.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Japan Airlines recently began testing humanoid robots to assist with luggage at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, though early demonstrations suggested the technology still has limitations. —Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026

Designed as a mobile smart home assistant, the humanoid-style system combines autonomous navigation, robotic manipulation, and generative AI to automate household tasks across connected appliances within the LG ThinQ ecosystem. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026

Noun

This combination of rover wheels and humanoid robot arms is designed to get the best of both worlds when on the moon. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026

Brier sees progress in this area but says the time horizon for practical humanoids is longer than what most anticipate. —Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1918, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1870, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for humanoid

• adenoid
• alkaloid
• amoeboid
• amyloid
• aneroid
• arachnoid
• asteroid
• benzenoid
• carcinoid
• celluloid
• coronoid
• mongoloid

Kids Definition

humanoid

adjective

hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid 

ˈyü-

: having human form or characteristics

humanoid noun

Medical Definition

humanoid

adjective

hu·​man·​oid ˈhyü-mə-ˌnȯid  ˈyü- 

: having human form or characteristics

humanoid dentition

humanoid noun