marionette
Computer-generated voice, not a recording. It may differ from the pronunciation guide.
In short
A marionette is a puppet whose movable parts are controlled from above by strings or wires. It is one kind of puppet, rather than a word for every type of puppet.
Hand puppets are operated differently and should not all be called marionettes.
What does marionette mean?
Marionette vs. puppet
Puppet is the broader category. A marionette is a puppet controlled from above by strings or wires connected to its movable parts.
A hand puppet is operated by a hand inside the figure. The difference is how the figure is controlled, not whether the character looks like a person or an animal.
Does a marionette have to be wooden?
Wood is common, but the defining feature is its control by strings or wires. Merriam-Webster describes the figure as usually wooden rather than requiring that material.
A name with a history
The French word has links to diminutive forms of Marie. A short explanation is enough here; the etymology of the name and the broader history of puppet theatre are separate research questions.
Where does it come from?
Marionette comes from French marionnette. Dictionaries connect its history with diminutive forms of the name Marie, including Marion, although they present the intermediate forms differently. The word’s naming history should not be turned into an unsupported claim about who invented string puppets.
How to use it in a sentence
“The performer lifted the marionette’s arm by tightening a string.”
“A hand puppet and a marionette are controlled in different ways.”
Sources and updates
- marionette, Cambridge Dictionary. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Marionette Definition & Meaning, Merriam-Webster. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Marionette - Etymology, Origin & Meaning, Online Etymology Dictionary. Checked October 28, 2026.
Definitions and examples are written in our own words from the sources above. Published .