humane
Americanadjective
-
characterized by tenderness, compassion, and sympathy for people and animals, especially for the suffering or distressed.
humane treatment of prisoners.
- Synonyms:
- charitable, benignant, benevolent, sympathetic, gentle, compassionate, tender, kindhearted, kindly, kind, merciful
-
acting in a manner that causes the least harm to people or animals.
humane trapping of stray pets.
-
of or relating to humanistic studies.
adjective
-
characterized by kindness, mercy, sympathy, etc
-
inflicting as little pain as possible
a humane killing
-
civilizing or liberal (esp in the phrases humane studies, humane education )
Related Words
See human.
Other Word Forms
- humanely adverb
- humaneness noun
- unhumane adjective
- unhumanely adverb
- unhumaneness noun
Etymology
Origin of humane
First recorded in 1425–75; originally a variant of human, restricted to above senses from the 18th century; germane, german
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.
It made our technological world accessible, inclusive, and humane.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
When World War I arrived, Galsworthy—like many humane Europeans of his generation who had believed that mass barbarism was becoming a thing of the past—was shattered.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The statement said the agency was “committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
"Our tactics continue to focus on deploying thermal drones, along with camera traps and humane traps aimed at tempting Samba out of hiding with favourite foods including melon."
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
“I know. Sometimes the most humane thing to do can feel like the hardest. But it’s what’s right. Bring the kitten into the barn when you’re ready and we’ll take care of it together.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
