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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.

“She’s an exceptional and incredible human being with a big heart. She told me very beautiful words that motivated me all of last year. Those were words that I needed to hear.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

"I have lost all motivation for anything," she says, "besides trying to raise a decent human being in this messed up world."

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

His thinking begins instead with three separate givens: God, world, human being.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

The 20-minute film follows a duo who form an unlikely friendship and is a delightful meditation on the importance of connecting with another human being.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

The old God of Sleep aroused his son, Morpheus, skilled in assuming the form of any and every human being, and he gave him Juno’s orders.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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.