human

adjective hu·man \ ˈhyü-mən , ˈyü- \

Updated on: 16 Dec 2017

Definition of human

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of humans (see ²human)

the human brain

human voices

problems that have occurred throughout human history

2 : consisting of humans

everyone held hands and made a human chain

3 a : having human form or attributes

the statue is more human than the beings at his feet
—Clifton Fadiman

b : representative of or susceptible to the sympathies and frailties of human nature

human kindness

a human weakness

such an inconsistency is very human
—P. E. More

—

humanness

play \ˈhyü-mən-nəs, ˈyü-\ noun

See human defined for English-language learners

See human defined for kids

Examples of human in a Sentence

problems that have occurred throughout human history
She is a very kind and human person.
The dog's expression was almost human.
The assembly line was a human machine.
Everyone held hands and formed a human chain.

Recent Examples of human from the Web

Wurtsbaugh says that the key to preserving saltwater lakes (including Iran’s Lake Urmia) is to strike a balance between human consumption and conservation.

— sarah derouin, Science | AAAS, "Utah’s Great Salt Lake has lost half its water, thanks to thirsty humans," 3 Nov. 2017
Whereas Biden is known for his wide smile and personal warmth, few of the candidates exuded optimism about America or seemed to enjoy relating to actual human beings.

— david kamp, The Hive, "Why Joe Biden Didn’t Run . . . And Why He’s Not Ruling Out 2020," 29 Oct. 2017
But having these safety soldiers at the ready and more vigilant than a human driver is reassuring.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe: a charmed life," 27 Oct. 2017
What's more important, making money or investing in human potential?

— byron mccauley, Cincinnati.com, "'Genius' grant recipient celebrates success, milestone in Cincinnati," 26 Oct. 2017
Now 30 years later, the DeLorean is preparing to time travel once again, revisiting its the past while also probing the future of human transportation.

— matt blitz, Popular Mechanics, "Stuck in Time," 25 Oct. 2017
This is dangerous for human thinking tends to be relative.

— rabbi avi weiss, Jewish Journal, "Weiss: The message of the Garden of Eden," 9 Oct. 2017
Software that replicates human voices already exists.

— jason segel, Teen Vogue, "Why We Need to Discuss the Downsides of New Technology," 3 Nov. 2017
The first human library was held over four days, eight hours each day, and included more than 50 different books.

— marisa miller, Indianapolis Star, "Best 'books' to borrow at Indianapolis's 1st Human Library," 3 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'human.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of human

Middle English humain, from Anglo-French, from Latin humanus; akin to Latin homo human being — more at homage

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

human Synonyms

Synonyms

earthborn, mortal, natural

Antonyms

nonhuman

Related Words

anthropoid, creatural, hominid, humanlike, humanoid

Near Antonyms

angelic (or angelical), divine, godlike, preternatural, superhuman, supernatural, supernormal; immortal, omnipotent, omniscient; animal, beastly, bestial, brute, infrahuman; inhuman, robotic, subhuman

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

human

noun

Definition of human

: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) : a person : man 1c —usually plural

a disease that affects both humans and animals

incomprehensible to us humans
—William James

; broadly : hominid

the least developed of all ancestral humans
—A. L. Kroeber

—

humanlike

play \ˈhyü-mən-ˌlīk, ˈyü-\ adjective

See human defined for English-language learners

Examples of human in a Sentence

humans are the only mammals not endowed with a natural defense against the elements, such as fur or a thick hide

Recent Examples of human from the Web

Jaden, however, is eternally searching for ways to push himself ahead both as a human and an artist.

— allison stubblebine, Billboard, "Jaden Smith Talks Impressive Debut Album 'SYRE', Why He Wants To Be Like Elon Musk & More," 24 Nov. 2017
Like the soul of a human, the animal’s soul (or ba) was capable of posthumous travel and communication.

— jonathon keats, Discover Magazine, "The Animal Mummy Business," 10 Nov. 2017
But only about 220 species — less than 10% —are known to transmit at least one disease also found in humans.

— mark johnson, jsonline.com, "Can math be used to predict an outbreak?," 2 Nov. 2017
But no scientific research shows that sunscreen—including kinds with oxybenzone and avobenzone—can cause health or hormonal problems in humans, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

— Health.com, "Tom Brady Versus Gwyneth Paltrow: Whose Wellness Advice Is More Bonkers?," 2 Nov. 2017
Sooner or later, willfully or not, AIs will have the capability to kill without a human in the loop to override its lethality.

— christof koch, WSJ, "To Keep Up With AI, We’ll Need High-Tech Brains," 27 Oct. 2017
The ultimate machine design does not look like something that would be designed by a human.

— tim o'reilly, The Atlantic, "What Will Our Lives Be Like as Cyborgs?," 27 Oct. 2017
The most recent study, published Wednesday, suggests the skull may have belonged to a human who drowned in a tsunami or had his or her grave displaced by the tsunami's waves.

— manisha ganguly, CNN, "Ancient skull may belong to earliest known tsunami victim," 26 Oct. 2017
His execution also featured the last-minute legal wrangling that so often takes place when states kill a human in this day and age.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Sheriff's K9 tracks down armed intruder in western Jefferson County," 20 Oct. 2017

Origin and Etymology of human

see ¹human

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1509

See Words from the same year

human Synonyms

Synonyms

baby, being, bird, bod [British], body, character, cookie (or cooky), creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, son of man

Related Words

hominid, homo, humanoid; brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor; celebrity, personality, self, somebody

Near Antonyms

animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

HUMAN Defined for English Language Learners

human

adjective

Definition of human for English Language Learners

: of, relating to, or affecting people
: typical of people
: having good or bad qualities that people usually have

human

noun

Definition of human for English Language Learners

: a person

HUMAN Defined for Kids

human

adjective hu·man \ ˈhyü-mən , ˈyü- \

Definition of human for Students

1 : of, being, or characteristic of people as distinct from animals

the human body

2 : having the form or characteristics of people

The expression on the dog's face was almost human.

human

noun

Definition of human for Students

: human being

—

humanlike

\ˈhyü-mən-ˌlīk, ˈyü-\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

human

adjective hu·man \ ˈhyü-mən , ˈyü- \

medical Definition of human

1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of humans

the human body

human biochemistry

b : primarily or usually harbored by, affecting, or attacking humans

human diseases

human parasites

2 : being or consisting of humans

the human race

3 : consisting of members of the family Hominidae : hominid

—

humanness

play \-mən-nəs\ noun

human

noun

medical Definition of human

: a bipedal primate mammal of the genus Homo (H. sapiens) : man; broadly : hominid

—

humanlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

Learn More about human

See words that rhyme with human Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for human Spanish Central: Translation of human Nglish: Translation of human for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of human for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about human

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human

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humanlike

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Synonyms

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human

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human

Definition of human for English Language Learners

HUMAN Defined for Kids

human

Definition of human for Students

human

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humanlike

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medical Definition of human

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human

medical Definition of human

humanlike

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