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.
Sam was asked to one final audition, "just to show that I am functional as a human being", after which he was officially selected as the UK's representative.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
"I saw those first warm words... and my eyes filled with tears. I was shaking and my friend put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'That means you're still a human being.'"
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Even more so than most great artists, Michael Jackson was a horrible human being.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
I’ve really blossomed into this human being that has all of these different layers and dynamics to them, and yet, all of it is cohesive all at the same time.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
Rather than being weird, he responds like a regular human being.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
