humanist

American  

[hyoo-muh-nist, yoo-] / ˈhju mə nɪst, ˈju- /

noun

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

2. a person devoted to or versed in the humanities.

3. a student of human nature or affairs.

4. a classical scholar.

5. (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.

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

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adjective

1. of or relating to human affairs, nature, welfare, or values.

   our humanist principles; a humanist approach to social reform.

2. (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.

3. of or relating to philosophical or scientific humanism.

   a humanist philosophy that clashed with his parents’ religious beliefs.

humanist Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• antihumanist
  noun
• nonhumanist
  noun
• antihumanistic
  adjective
• nonhumanistic
  adjective
• pseudohumanistic
  adjective
• quasi-humanistic
  adjective
• semihumanistic
  adjective
• unhumanistic
  adjective
• humanistically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of humanist

First recorded in 1585–95; from Middle French, French humaniste “classics scholar, classicist”; equivalent to human + -ist

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Explanation

Do you prefer humans to gods or animals? Well, perhaps you’re a budding humanist, someone who wants the best for humankind. A humanist is also a scholar of the classics and liberal arts. The word humanist comes from the Renaissance, by way of an Italian poet, Lodovico Ariosto. It started out as a name for a scholar of classical Greek and Latin literature. It still describes someone who studies liberal arts, or humanities, but now a humanist is also someone who’s especially interested in what's good for humanity. Humanists want everyone to have enough food, shelter, and dignity.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

humanist

As Jean-Luc Picard, the captain who inherited the helm of USS Enterprise from William Shatner’s James T. Kirk, Stewart embodied franchise founder Gene Roddenberry’s humanist outlook.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

Some see a humanist concerned about AI's impact on society, able to attract the world's best researchers to history-changing projects.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Gianfrancesco I, the first marquis, set the tone in the 1420s by inviting the Padua-based humanist Vittorino da Feltre, whose new Mantua academy created a template for Renaissance education.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

On Monday, Microsoft AI became the latest major company to discuss limiting the models it is developing, as it published an outline document on what it called "humanist AI".

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Even Stephen Kellner, noted secular humanist, dressed up to go.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

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