human being
Americannoun
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any individual of the genus Homo, especially a member of the species Homo sapiens.
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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.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of human being
First recorded in 1855–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“No human being in a free society should have their hard-earned money stolen in this manner,” he tweeted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 10, 2026
"He is a human being," his manager Roberto Martinez said of that interaction.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
When scientists cracked the human genome in 2003 – sequencing the entire genetic code of a human being – many expected it would unlock the secrets of disease.
From Science Daily • Jun. 17, 2026
It’s more of a comrade, understanding, empathy and having the maturity and the experience to understand what he went through as a man, as a human being.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
“He’s a human being, even if he is dead. Now help me pull him out. Pita, you go sit over there if you can’t handle it.”
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
