human

American  

[hyoo-muhn, yoo‑] / ˈhju mən, ˈju‑ /

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.

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noun

humans plural

1. a human being.

human British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a human being; person

human Scientific  

/ hyo̅o̅′mən /

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.

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human Idioms  

1. see milk of human kindness.

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Pronunciation

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.

Synonym Usage

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).

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• humans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of human

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

Explanation

Unlike a pickle or a chipmunk, a human is a person. You can identify a human by the two legs it stands on, its upright stature, its high intelligence, and its speech that you'll understand if you're one, too. Human was first recorded in the mid 13th century, and owes its existence to the Middle French humain “of or belonging to man.” That word, in turn, comes from the Latin humanus, thought to be a hybrid relative of homo, meaning “man,” and humus, meaning “earth.”

Example Sentences

Researchers from Newcastle University's Human Nutrition and Exercise Research Centre analyzed vitamin D levels in nearly 300 people living across northern Britain.

From Science Daily • Jun. 24, 2026

His first novel in 28 years, “The Last Human Bear,” is loosely based on the spiritual leader McKay, whose wisdom and companionship served as a refuge to Sarris during a tumultuous childhood in Sonoma County.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

"Human consent is not an impediment to progress. Human consent does not diminish the struggles and the joys of technological innovation or inhuman creativity," Blanchett said at the event in the parliament's library.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement that “the prevalence of these substances on the black market and growing consumer awareness do not change FDA’s scientific or regulatory standards.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

Human midwives to deliver babies from human consorts.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Related Words

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