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Synonyms

human being

American  

noun

  1. any individual of the genus Homo, especially a member of the species Homo sapiens.

  2. 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.
human being British  

noun

  1. a member of any of the races of Homo sapiens; person; man, woman, or child

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

The third-party disclosure rule exists because sharing information with a human being creates a risk that the human will further disseminate it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

“I told him from Day 1 that we started hanging out back in ‘06, ‘07, somewhere in there, that I’m pulling for him as a human being — forget his golf.”

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

"The first thing you do when you greet a person is smile at them, that's the first connection you have, so for me, it's about being a human being with dignity and pride."

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Because in some men it is in them to give up everything personal at some time, before it ferments and poisons—throw it to some human being or some human idea.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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.