misanthropomorphic

[ mih-san-throh-puh-mawr-fik ]
adjective

Definitions

1. Disliking or distrusting anthropomorphized entities — that is, non-human things (such as robots, AI, or fictional characters) that have been given human traits, emotions, or personalities.
2. Skeptical of anthropomorphism as a cultural or technological practice; resistant to treating machines, animals, or objects as if they were human.

Example Sentences

• Her misanthropomorphic instincts kicked in the moment the robot smiled and asked about her day.
• The film’s protagonist is a misanthropomorphic engineer who refuses to design machines that imitate human behavior.

Word Origin

mis- “against, hatred of” + anthropomorphic “having human form or qualities.”
First recorded use: believed to be first coined by Barry McKeon (2010) as his Guild name in World of Warcraft, blending misanthropy and anthropomorphism to describe a distrust of human-like artificial systems.

Usage Notes

• Often used in discussions of AI ethics, robotics, or media studies to describe discomfort with human-simulating technology.
• Distinct from misanthropic (“hating humans”); misanthropomorphic instead denotes skepticism toward non-humans that imitate humanity.