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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

Michael Gonzalez said his office contacted a local humane society and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to report the creature.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2024

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

From Slate • May 8, 2024

Parker revealed that Lotus was officially adopted from the humane society in April.

From Salon • Aug. 30, 2023

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