humanness

[ hyoo-muhn-nis, yoo- ]
See synonyms for humanness on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the quality or condition of being human or characteristic of humans: Loss of intellect, as when a person is severely brain-damaged, does not mean loss of humanness.It’s an essay on the humanness of language—how it serves as a hallmark distinguishing humankind from other animals.

  2. human limitation, weakness, or imperfection: Employers need to embrace the humanness of their workforce, with all its flaws, frailty, and emotional vulnerability.In a fitness class, the sheer humanness of feeling awkward and sweating together relaxes relationships.

  1. sympathetic, relatable, or humane quality: The memoir was refreshing in its honesty, vulnerability, and humanness.Greed can drive people beyond their humanness into great cruelty and inhumanity.

Origin of humanness

1
First recorded in 1690–1700; human + -ness

Other words from humanness

  • un·hu·man·ness, noun

Words Nearby humanness

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

How to use humanness in a sentence

  • Through the tender humanness of her narrative Mrs. Mullins bids fair to gain a large audience for this intensely interesting work.

  • So long ago and longer I consciously owned an eerie quality which toppled over the edge of my humanness.

    I, Mary MacLane | Mary MacLane
  • So Bella was fain to turn outward in search of nurturing matter whereon to feed her humanness.

    I, Mary MacLane | Mary MacLane
  • But just let there be a smash-up or a stroke of bad luck and their shells crack and humanness just oozes out of them.

    Green Valley | Katharine Reynolds
  • Here was a human soul that, save for the most glimmering of contacts, was beyond the humanness of me.