A marionette is a puppet controlled by strings or wires attached to its limbs, head, and body. Unlike a hand puppet that fits over your fingers, a marionette dangles below a wooden control bar held by the puppeteer above. When the puppeteer tilts the bar or pulls individual strings, the marionette's arms wave, its legs walk, and its head turns, creating the illusion of a tiny person moving on its own.

Over centuries, marionettes evolved into elaborate entertainment, with skilled puppeteers making them dance, sword-fight, or perform entire plays.

Controlling a marionette takes real skill and practice. The puppeteer must coordinate multiple strings at once, making smooth, lifelike movements while staying hidden above or behind the stage. Professional marionette shows can be mesmerizing: the wooden figures seem almost alive, expressing emotions through gestures even though they have no muscles or minds of their own.

People sometimes use marionette metaphorically to describe someone being controlled by another person, like a politician who's a marionette for powerful interests, doing whatever they're told rather than thinking independently.