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
"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
She praised Bernard as "an amazing human being" and said he had found it very difficult to see his stepmother in court "stand there and lie and try to discredit him".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Hunger did not know how to find that spot on a human being.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
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.
