humanize

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

See synonyms for: humanize humanized humanizing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),hu·man·ized, hu·man·iz·ing.

to make humane, kind, or gentle.
to make human.

verb (used without object),hu·man·ized, hu·man·iz·ing.

to become human or humane.

Origin of humanize

First recorded in 1595–1605; human + -ize

Also especially British, hu·man·ise .

Other words from humanize

hu·man·i·za·tion, noun
hu·man·iz·er, noun
non·hu·man·ized, adjective
o·ver·hu·man·ize, verb, o·ver·hu·man·ized, o·ver·hu·man·iz·ing.
re·hu·man·i·za·tion, noun
re·hu·man·ize, verb, re·hu·man·ized, re·hu·man·iz·ing.
sem·i·hu·man·ized, adjective
su·per·hu·man·ize, verb (used with object), su·per·hu·man·ized, su·per·hu·man·iz·ing.
un·hu·man·ize, verb (used with object), un·hu·man·ized, un·hu·man·iz·ing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use humanize in a sentence

I was humanizing him and honoring him by the name he chooses to be called.
Hey, Shorty: Brandon Scott, Baltimore’s Youngest Mayor, Speaks to His People | Shani Parrish | January 15, 2021 | Essence.com
I think humanizing leadership, humanizing the conversation, humanizing all aspects of business, is a trend that will continue to accelerate.
7 life lessons on leadership during COVID and beyond | Sponsored Content: Integrate | October 26, 2020 | Search Engine Land
“They humanized [Kim Jong-Un] quite a bit,” David Brand, 32, said following the show.
I Was Honeydicked Into Spending Christmas with ‘The Interview’ | Allison McNearney | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But before she left, she had encapsulated our defense and humanized Diana B. in a single statement.
My First Autopsy Report: Excerpt From David Berg’s ‘Run, Brother, Run’` | David Berg | June 10, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
It illustrated and humanized issues such as race, AIDS, eating disorders, prejudice, and addiction.
‘The Real World’ 20-Year Anniversary | Andy Dehnart | May 24, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

“The arc of his character over the three stories is how he becomes humanized by Watson,” he continued.
Sherlock Holmes Gets an iPhone | Jace Lacob | October 23, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
Man, by this community, debases himself less than the beasts are elevated and humanized.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VIII (of 10) | Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
They could not have done so at their ease had the river not been humanized.
Lectures on Landscape | John Ruskin
Alcamenes represented him as a sort of humanized Zeus or Jupiter.
A History of Art for Beginners and Students | Clara Erskine Clement
At a later time the whole was humanized, merely the horns, ears or hoofs remaining as relics of the animal form.
The Sex Worship and Symbolism of Primitive Races | Sanger Brown, II
Something is achieved because it is really desired; existence is in so far humanized, a self has been realized.
The Behavior of Crowds | Everett Dean Martin

British Dictionary definitions for humanize

humanize

humanise

/ (ˈhjuːməˌnaɪz) /

verb

to make or become human
to make or become humane

Derived forms of humanize

humanization or humanisation, noun
humanizer or humaniser, noun

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

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