humanist

[ hyoo-muh-nist or, often, yoo- ]

/ ˈhyu mə nɪst or, often, ˈyu- /

Save This Word!

noun

a person having a strong interest in or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity.

a person devoted to or versed in the humanities.

a student of human nature or affairs.

a classical scholar.

(sometimes initial capital letter) any one of the scholars of the Renaissance who pursued and disseminated the study and understanding of the cultures of ancient Rome and Greece, and emphasized secular, individualistic, and critical thought.

(sometimes initial capital letter) a person who follows a form of philosophical or scientific humanism.

adjective Also hu·man·is·tic

[hyoo-muh-nis-tik, or, often, yoo‐] /ˌhyu məˈnɪs tɪk, or, often, ˌyu‐/

of or relating to human affairs, nature, welfare, or values: our humanist principles; a humanist approach to social reform.

(sometimes initial capital letter) of or relating to the humanities or classical scholarship, especially that of the Renaissance humanists: humanist studies; the Humanist ideology of Petrarch.

of or relating to philosophical or scientific humanism: a humanist philosophy that clashed with his parents’ religious beliefs.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of humanist

1585–95; <Middle French, French humaniste “classics scholar, classicist” See human, -ist

OTHER WORDS FROM humanist

hu·man·is·ti·cal·ly, adverban·ti·hu·man·ist, noun, adjectivean·ti·hu·man·is·tic, adjectivenon·hu·ma·nist, noun

non·hu·man·is·tic, adjectivepseu·do·hu·man·is·tic, adjectivequa·si-hu·man·is·tic, adjectivesem·i·hu·man·is·tic, adjectiveun·hu·man·is·tic, adjective

How to use humanist in a sentence

It helped me to look at Israelis in a more humanistic way.
Palestinian and Israeli Citizens Bypass Their Governments in Search for Peace|Evie M. Salomon|August 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Yet when it comes to Palestinians under Israel's control, the humanistic approach to children's welfare tends to wither.
Dostoyevsky In The West Bank|Liza Rozovsky|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He prioritized spiritual values and humanistic principles above market forces and hedonistic impulses.
David Foster Wallace, Traditionalist? Considering ‘Both Flesh and Not: Essays’|David Masciotra|November 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Are they idealistic freedom fighters with humanistic principles?
Free Syrian Army Struggles to Survive Amid Charges That It’s Executing Opponents|Tobias Havmand|May 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST

They had Ph.D. degrees from some German school, all based on some atheistic, humanistic philosophy.
Left Behind Author Tim LaHaye on the Rapture|Marlow Stern|May 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is worth noticing that not one of these young men went to Italy for his humanistic education.
The Age of Erasmus|P. S. Allen
The idealism of the eighteenth century was not reformative and humanistic, but revolutionary and humanitarian.
An Epitome of the History of Medicine|Roswell Park
Between applied science and science as a cultural discipline—that is, science as a humanistic study—the line is hard to draw.
The Behavior of Crowds|Everett Dean Martin
Humanistic writing is full of the exulting sense of this emancipation.
Preaching and Paganism|Albert Parker Fitch
Hence the pride which is an essential quality of the humanistic attitude.
Preaching and Paganism|Albert Parker Fitch

Cultural definitions for humanist

humanist

In the Renaissance, a scholar who studied the languages and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome; today, a scholar of the humanities. The term secular humanist is applied to someone who concentrates on human activities and possibilities, usually downplaying or denying the importance of God and a life after death.