human

1 of 2

adjective

hu·​man ˈhyü-mən How to pronounce human (audio) ˈyü- How to pronounce human (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of humans (see human entry 2)
the human brain
human voices
problems that have occurred throughout human history
2
: consisting of or involving humans
everyone held hands and made a human chain
human interactions
human spaceflight
3
a
: having human form or attributes
the statue is more human than the beings at his feetClifton Fadiman
b
: representative of or susceptible to the sympathies and frailties of human nature
human kindness
a human weakness
such an inconsistency is very humanP. E. More
humanness noun

human

2 of 2

noun

: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) : a person : man sense 1c
usually plural
a disease that affects both humans and animals
incomprehensible to us humansWilliam James
broadly : hominid
the least developed of all ancestral humans A. L. Kroeber
humanlike adjective

Examples of human in a Sentence

Adjective 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. Noun humans are the only mammals not endowed with a natural defense against the elements, such as fur or a thick hide
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.
Adjective
The agency confirmed that the remains were human almost immediately, but stopped short of providing an ID until this week. Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024 The question thus becomes one of the oldest in all of human existence: how to make men happy and fulfilled. Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
The result could be that humans starve and die off due to a lack of available resources. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024 Spies recognize that nearly all humans, regardless of their flaws, possess at least one redeeming quality—some kernel of humanity a spy can focus on. Jeremy Hurewitz, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for human 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

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

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1509, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of human was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near human

Cite this Entry

“Human.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

human

1 of 2 adjective
hu·​man ˈhyü-mən How to pronounce human (audio)
ˈyü-
1
: relating to or characteristic of human beings
especially : showing qualities typical of human beings
a human failing
2
: consisting of or involving human beings
human spaceflight
3
: having human form or characteristics
the dog's expression was almost human
humanness noun

human

2 of 2 noun
: a human being
humanlike adjective

Medical Definition

human

1 of 2 adjective
hu·​man ˈhyü-mən How to pronounce human (audio) ˈyü- How to pronounce human (audio)
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 genus Homo
humanness noun

human

2 of 2 noun
: a bipedal primate mammal of the genus Homo (H. sapiens)
broadly : any living or extinct member of the genus Homo
humanlike adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on human

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