What does humanlike mean?
Humanlike means resembling a human in appearance, behaviour, movement, or capabilities. The adjective is especially common when describing robots, animated characters, animals, computer systems, and other entities whose actions or qualities seem recognisably human. Humanlike does not imply that something is genuinely human; it describes a resemblance or an approximation. In descriptions of artificial intelligence, it can suggest that a system reasons, communicates, or behaves in ways comparable to those of people, though such descriptions may also raise questions about whether the comparison is accurate. Humanlike is often written as a closed compound, though human-like with a hyphen is also accepted. The related noun humanoid is more specific, usually referring to a machine or fictional being constructed with a humanlike physical form.
adjectiveResembling a human in appearance, behaviour, movement, or capabilities. The word is often used to describe artificial beings or systems that seem human.
- Resembling a human in appearance, movement, behaviour, or manner.
- Resembling human capabilities or intelligence, especially in a machine or computer system.
"The robot moved with remarkably humanlike coordination."
"The animation gave the creature fluid, humanlike movement."
"The laboratory was testing a system capable of solving problems in a humanlike way."
Humanlike can describe a machine without claiming that it is actually human: resemblance, not identity, is what matters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does humanlike come from?
Humanlike was formed within English by combining human with the suffix -like, meaning “resembling” or “similar to.” The element human comes through Old French from Latin humanus, which was associated with people and humanity. Related English words include humane, humanity, and humanoid, all of which derive from the same Latin root.
How humanlike is actually used
Usually written as one word or with a hyphen, as humanlike or human-like. It is especially common in descriptions of robots, animations, animals, and artificial intelligence.
Easily confused with humanlike
Humanlike means resembling a human, while humanoid specifically denotes a machine or being with a humanlike body or form.
Humanlike focuses on human resemblance, whereas lifelike means so realistic that it appears alive or true to life.