human being

noun

1. any individual of the genus Homo, especially a member of the species Homo sapiens.
2. a person, especially as distinguished from other animals or as representing the human species:

   living conditions not fit for human beings; a very generous human being.

human being

noun

1. a member of any of the races of Homo sapiens; person; man, woman, or child

Word History and Origins

Origin of human being¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Fossils suggest that human beings and apes shared a common ancestor as recently as 13 million years ago, and that whales, bats, and humans all shared parentage roughly 65 million years ago.

From Popular-Science

As decent human beings, we are supposed to be pleased by one another’s successes.

From Washington Post

The experiments used one type of cotton mask and one type of medical mask in a laboratory, “not with human beings,” he said.

From Washington Post

The crew and inhabitants of several starships led by the Galactica are the sole human beings stranded by the obliteration of their world at the hands of an artificial race that humans created to be slaves.

From Nautilus

When you stop laughing and take a good look at what’s going on, you realize that the well-being of lots of non-famous, non-rich, non-publicity-seeking human beings is affected by this Wall Street madness.

From Washington Post

Our animators are very excited to be drawing the innards of a human being.

From The Daily Beast

What was this human being fighting for everywhere but inside a ring?

From The Daily Beast

She assured me he was a decent human being and the love of her life.

From The Daily Beast

But they gave themselves away with a very strange sentence—their only effort to acknowledge me as a human being.

From The Daily Beast

Why not give her the opportunity to be an actual human being versus a celebrity?

From The Daily Beast

Every human being behind that absurdly inadequate wall was exposed to constant and equal danger.

From Project Gutenberg

This, they said, was no human being like themselves; such hellish practices could have but one origin.

From Project Gutenberg

And every human being born upon the world represents a power of work that, rightly directed, more than supplies his wants.

From Project Gutenberg

Seven o'clock in the morning is too early for any rational human being to be herded into a factory at the call of a steam whistle.

From Project Gutenberg

As far as you know there isn't a human being living who has any claim to your services by reason of blood relationship.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• human
• mortal
• person
• soul