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.
“You would think that a human being with a shred of dignity would recoil from this thing,” Oswalt said.
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
Obviously I had a lot of love for it, but that was also a time in my life when, as a human being, I was quite lost and angry.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
"They just chased us away like dogs... that is unfair because, actually, I'm a human being," the 32-year-old said.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
The transformations they are engineering will touch every human being; the decisions about how to engineer them will be made by very few.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
His last comment about Bobby was “Fischer is a man of art, but he is a rare human being in the everyday life of this century. I like Fischer and I think I understand him.”
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
