robotic

American  

[roh-bot-ik] / roʊˈbɒt ɪk /

adjective

1. in the manner of a robot; mechanical; lacking human intelligence or emotion.

   He’s so constant and efficient that he looks robotic on the ice, and his scores for artistic performance suffer.

2. performed by a robot without active guidance from a human operator.

   Over the course of several robotic missions, NASA gathered information about the surface of Mars and its atmosphere.

---

Etymology

Origin of robotic

First recorded in 1925–30; robot ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Explanation

Something is robotic if it moves or behaves like a machine. If you express no emotion and do things in an automatic-seeming way, your friends might say you're robotic. The adjective robotic can describe something related to the use of robots, like a robotic technique for dismantling a bomb or a robotic tool for surgery. Often, it's used to describe a person who reminds you of a robot: "She gets good grades, but she's so robotic! All she does is work — never has any fun!" Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov is credited with the first use of robotic in 1941.

Example Sentences

Those who fear imminent robotic world domination can actually take heart — like the AI actor Tilly Norwood, these little geezers have limited abilities.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Fifth place went to Disney/Pixar animated hit "Hoppers," the story of a young animal lover who uses technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic beaver so she can better communicate and protect wildlife.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

These inventions—from corn-processing equipment to electric refrigeration to a robotic vacuum—mechanized or eliminated work that once consumed hours of effort each day, and made domestic life safer and more comfortable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Communication delays between Earth and robotic explorers can range from four to 22 minutes, and limited data transmission capacity adds another layer of constraint.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

Whenever he turned a page, robotic sounds mysteriously accompanied his movement.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Related Words

• automatic
• computerized
• electronic
• mechanical
• mechanized