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cybernetics

Etymology and origin of the English word cybernetics

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌsaɪ.bə(ɹ)ˈnɛ.tɪks/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

Coined in 1948 by the American mathematician Norbert Wiener,[2][3][4] from Ancient Greek κυβερνήτης (kubernḗtēs, “steersman, pilot; governor”) and the suffix -ics.[5][2][3][6][7] The Greek word comes from kubernân “to steer, govern”, of uncertain, probably foreign origin,[3] and is also the ultimate source of govern.[7] A French cybernétique “the art of governing” had been used in the 1830s.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The theory or study of communication and control in living organisms and machines (1948).[8][2][3][6]

Semantic evolution

Wiener wrote in 1948 that he had decided to call the whole field of control and communication theory, whether in the machine or in the animal, cybernetics.[4] The adjective cybernetic (1951) is a back-formation,[2][8] and cybernation (1962) a blend with automation.[2] The word also gave rise to the combining form cyber-, as in cyberspace (1982), cyberpunk (1983) and cybersex (1991).[4]

Timeline

  • 1830s – French cybernétique, the art of governing.[3][4]
  • 1948 – cybernetics, coined by Norbert Wiener.[2][3][8]
  • 1951 – cybernetic.[2]
  • 1962 – cybernation.[2]
  • 1982 – cyberspace.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The theoretical study of communication and control processes in biological, mechanical and electronic systems, especially the comparison of automatic control systems such as the nervous system and brain with mechanical and electronic ones.

Word family

  • cybernetic
  • cybernetically
  • cyberneticist
  • biocybernetics
  • cyber
  • cyber-
  • cybercafe
  • cybernetician
  • cyberpunk
  • cyberspace
  • cyborg
  • governance
  • governor
  • govern

Usage notes

The word is plural in form but takes a singular verb.[6]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Cybernetics.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/cybernetics. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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