robot
noun
Simple meaning
An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rohbahtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɹoʊbɑt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
chiefly science fiction
An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
A machine built to carry out some complex task or group of tasks by physically moving, especially one which can be programmed.
figuratively
A person who does not seem to have any emotions or individuality.
computing
A bot, software designed to perform a task.
south africa
A traffic light (from earlier robot policeman).
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: An intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human or other creature, and usually made from metal.
Used this way, robot is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is an engineering use: it is a working term used for accuracy on the job.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Technical/specialist writing
- Science
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use robot
- “The factory uses a robot arm to assemble parts quickly and efficiently.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Intelligent
Other combinations
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A navigational device that automatically keeps ships or planes or spacecraft on a steady course.
A small jet-propelled winged missile that carries a bomb.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
The area of AI concerned with the practical use of robots.
Microsurgery in which the surgeon performs surgery by manipulating the hands of a robot.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: intelligent mechanical being designed to look like a human
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.