A marionette is a type of puppet that is controlled from above using wires or strings attached to a control bar. The puppeteer, also known as a marionettist, pulls on the strings vertically or horizontally to manipulate the puppet. The strings are attached to different parts of the puppet, such as the legs, hands, shoulders, ears, and base of the spine, depending on the design and purpose of the marionette. By adding more strings, the puppeteer can achieve more sensitive control of the puppets movements.

Marionettes have been used in various forms of entertainment, including theatre, films, and television. They are considered the most delicate and difficult type of puppet to master, as they are capable of imitating almost every human and animal gesture. The manipulation of a many-stringed marionette is a highly skilled operation, and the controls used by the puppeteer can be either horizontal or vertical.

The word "marionette" comes from the French word "marionnette," which means "little Mary". During the Middle Ages, string puppets were often used in France to depict biblical events, with the Virgin Mary being a popular character, hence the name. In France, the word "marionnette" can refer to any kind of puppet, but elsewhere it typically refers only to string puppets.