humane society

American

noun

(often initial capital letter) an organization devoted to promoting humane ideals, especially with reference to the treatment of animals.

humane society British

noun

an organization for promotion of humane ideals, esp in dealing with animals

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

humane societies

plural

Etymology

Origin of humane society

First recorded in 1770–80

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.

See Examples For:

humane society

A drop of existential awareness may even make us a more humane society.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025

A healthy democracy depends on a humane society — and a robust social safety net.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2025

The cub was initially treated at Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital in Orange County, before being transferred to the humane society for his long-term rehab.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2025

Above all, the new overtime rule is also about building a humane society.

From Slate ● May 8, 2024

Liyana asked her mother, “Do they have a humane society here?”

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023