What is "non-player character"

n. (context video games English) A character in a role-playing game or computer game whose actions are not controlled by the player.

A non-player character (NPC), sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any character that is not controlled by a player. In video games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence. In traditional tabletop role-playing games the term applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster or referee, rather than another player.