humanness
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humanness
First recorded in 1690–1700; human ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
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.
“I’m interested in touch, activity, humanness — the character of being alive and human — and connection,” said Haendel, who grew up on the East Coast and completed a master’s of fine art at UCLA.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
With the rise of malicious AI agents, increased calls for age verification and bots ruining everything from dating apps to ticket sales, new proof of humanness is necessary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025
But the soul of the film, the reason why we see ourselves in its greatness, its stillness, its humanness, lies in the chemistry and connection between the two leads Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2023
I don’t think there’s something like an ideal state of authentic humanness, nor do I think that humanness is better than non-humanness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2023
Rather than shaming and condemning an already deeply stigmatized group, we, collectively, can embrace them—not necessarily their behavior, but them—their humanness.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
