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.
In its primordial form, liberalism was a political belief that the building block of society is the individual—an idea tethered loosely to the Christian notion that every single human being contains a divine spark.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
It reminds us that a human being exists, or in the case of Louis Vuitton, existed.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
“When I look at that, I look at it and go, he’s just a human being like everyone else and we have struggles,” Day said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
It came down to a straightforward question, she said: What kind of human being do you want to be?
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
When you are a human being, you must decide and decide again to go forward.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
