Homo sapiens

American  

[hoh-moh sey-pee-uhnz] / ˈhoʊ moʊ ˈseɪ pi ənz /

noun

1. the species of bipedal primates to which modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens ) belong, characterized by a large brain, a nearly vertical forehead, a skeletal build lighter and teeth smaller than earlier humans, and dependence upon language and the creation and utilization of complex tools: the species has existed for about 200,000 years.

2. humankind.

---

Homo sapiens British  

/ ˈsæpɪˌɛnz /

noun

1. the specific name of modern man; the only extant species of the genus Homo. This species also includes extinct types of primitive man such as Cro-Magnon man See also man

---

Homo sapiens Scientific  

/ sā′pē-ənz /

1. The modern species of humans. Archaic forms of Homo sapiens probably evolved around 300,000 years ago or earlier in Africa, and anatomically modern fossils are known from about 100,000 years ago. All humans now living belong to the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens. The closest living relative of Homo sapiens is the chimpanzee.

2. See more at archaic Homo sapiens Cro-Magnon Neanderthal

---

Homo sapiens Cultural  

1. The biological classification of modern humans. Homo sapiens is Latin for “the wise human” or “the clever human.” The earliest Homo sapiens was Neanderthal, who developed about 150,000 years ago. Sometimes modern humans are further classified into the subspecies of Homo sapiens neanderthalis (Neanderthals) and Homo sapiens sapiens (Cro-Magnons and present-day humans). (See Linnean classification.)

---

Etymology

Origin of Homo sapiens

First recorded in 1770–75; from New Latin: literally, “rational man”; Homo ( def. ), sapient ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does homo-sapiens compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Homo sapiens vs. Homo sapiens sapiens

Example Sentences

During this time, Neanderthal groups in Northern Europe displayed a wide range of cultural behaviors, and early Homo sapiens were beginning to appear in nearby regions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

The objects are from just before Homo sapiens moved to Europe from Africa where they interacted with Neanderthals.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Published in Nature, the study sheds new light on African populations that lived close to the evolutionary branch leading to Homo sapiens and helps clarify the shared ancestry of H. sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026

These included Homo longi and Homo juluensis, and possibly Homo sapiens.

From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026

But Homo sapiens, whose body was adapted to living in the African savannah rather than in the lands of snow and ice, devised ingenious solutions.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari