humane

adjective

hu·​mane hyü-ˈmān How to pronounce humane (audio)
yü-
1
: marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals
humane prison guards
a more humane way of treating farm animals
2
: characterized by or tending to broad humanistic culture : humanistic
humane studies
humanely adverb
humaneness noun

Examples of humane in a Sentence

It's not humane to treat animals that way. Conditions in the prison are more humane now.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The dog will serve a mandatory 10-day bite quarantine, the humane society said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025 The humane society has options to foster or adopt animals on its website. Jennifer Rodriguez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Feb. 2025 From there, in circumstances that are not all that clear to anyone involved, Beans ended up at a puppy mill in Ohio, before being rescued by the humane society. Jack Beresford, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025 Even doing the eight shows a week is so much more humane than touring. Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for humane

Word History

Etymology

Middle English humain

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of humane was in 1552

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Humane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humane. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

humane

adjective
hu·​mane hyü-ˈmān How to pronounce humane (audio)
yü-
: marked by sympathy or consideration for others
humanely adverb
humaneness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on humane

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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