'humanoid' originates from English, formed from 'human' + the suffix '-oid' (ultimately from Greek 'oeidēs'), where '-oid' meant 'form, shape'.

'human' came into English via Middle English 'humain' from Old French 'humain', from Latin 'humanus'; the suffix '-oid' derives from Greek 'oeidēs' meaning 'resembling' and entered English through New Latin/Greek formations. The combination produced the modern English 'humanoid' in the late 18th/19th century.

Initially coined to mean 'resembling a human in form', the word has retained that core sense but has broadened to include both biological (e.g., alien) and artificial (e.g., robot/android) beings.