human being
Americannoun
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human beings
plural
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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.
"I was a shell of a human being," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
‘AI is not a good replacement for a human being who might be able to ask you what your healthcare utilization looks like, but it can help with some basic explanations.’
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
I lay flat on my back and began rage-unsubscribing from every company that had recently texted me in the voice of a human being.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
“It de-skills us. In any conversation with a human being, you say your piece, and the person says, ‘yes, but’ or ‘I have a different life experience.’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
If you do things like this to a human being, he or she goes crazy.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
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.
