human

[hyoo-muhn, yoo‑]

adjective

1. of, relating to, characteristic of, or having the nature of people.

   human frailty.

2. consisting of people.

   the human race.

3. of or relating to the social aspect of people.

   human affairs.

4. sympathetic; humane.

   a warmly human understanding.

noun

1. a human being.

human

/ ˈhjuːmən /

adjective

1. of, characterizing, or relating to man and mankind

   human nature

2. consisting of people

   the human race

   a human chain

3. having the attributes of man as opposed to animals, divine beings, or machines

   human failings

4. 1. kind or considerate

   2. natural

noun

1. a human being; person

human

1. A member of the species Homo sapiens; a human being.

2. A member of any of the extinct species of the genus Homo, such as Homo erectus or Homo habilis, that are considered ancestral or closely related to modern humans.

Pronunciation Note

Pronunciations of words like human, huge, etc., with the initial deleted: , , while sometimes criticized, are heard from speakers at all social and educational levels, including professors, lawyers, and other public speakers.

Other Word Forms

• humanlike adjective
• humanness noun
• half-human adjective
• interhuman adjective
• overhuman adjective
• pseudohuman adjective
• quasi-human adjective
• quasi-humanly adverb
• transhuman adjective
• ultrahuman adjective
• unhuman adjective
• unhumanly adverb
• human-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of human¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; earlier humain(e), humayn(e), Middle English, from Middle French humain, from Latin hūmānus, akin to homō “human being”; Homo ( def. ); spelling human predominant from early 18th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of human¹

C14: from Latin hūmānus; related to Latin homō man

Idioms and Phrases

see milk of human kindness.

Synonym Study

Human, humane may refer to that which is, or should be, characteristic of human beings. In thus describing characteristics, human may refer to good and bad traits of a person alike ( human kindness; human weakness ). When emphasis is placed upon the latter, human is thought of as contrasted to divine: To err is human, to forgive divine. He was only human. Humane (the original spelling of human, and since 1700 restricted in meaning) takes into account only the nobler or gentler aspects of people and is often contrasted to their more ignoble or brutish aspect. A humane person is benevolent in treating fellow humans or helpless animals; the word once had also connotations of courtesy and refinement (hence, the application of humane to those branches of learning intended to refine the mind).

Example Sentences

Andy looks like a human adult but behaves like an awkward, stammering middle-schooler eager to ingratiate himself with his peers by telling toothless jokes straight out of a Scholastic pun manual.

From Salon

The Portuguese prime minister has described it as "one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history".

From BBC

It’s these kinds of details that can only be observed with the naked eye and the human mind, the kinds of tells that are so specific that an AI program can’t pick them up.

From Salon

He’s a black hole of a human being who will never willingly give up the presidency unless someone offers him the title and power of world leader.

From Salon

“You see the kind of human being he is. It’s pretty special.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• body 
• character 
• child 
• creature 
• individual 
• life 
• mortal