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
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.
"I saw those first warm words... and my eyes filled with tears. I was shaking and my friend put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'That means you're still a human being.'"
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
I couldn’t have asked for a better human being to be at the Old Vic.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Even more so than most great artists, Michael Jackson was a horrible human being.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
"It's certainly easier that way. Why bother to depict a human being when you can simply turn them into a product?"
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
Anyway: To have the most enchanting human being I’ve ever encountered tell me my move to her town is the best thing to happen to her in ten years?
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
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.
