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.
“You’re always going to have to have a human being that acts as the orchestrator, as the adjudicator, to determine what the agents should build.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
You can stop to talk to someone who may have gone days, even weeks, without being treated like a human being.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
There’s not a single shot of a healthy human being in the movie, only wraiths filmed in sickly shades of pink, red and blue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
"Every human being experiences pain and loss in life and my family is no different," wrote Parton in her Instagram post on Friday, external.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Anyway: To have the most enchanting human being I’ve ever encountered tell me my move to her town is the best thing to happen to her in ten years?
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
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.
