mensch
Americannoun
plural
menschen, menschesEtymology
Origin of mensch
First recorded in 1910–15; from Yiddish mentsh “man, human being,” from Middle High German mensch ( German Mensch ), from Old High German mennisco, mannisco; man, -ish 1
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.
He is a true mensch and is an asset to be cherished by The Times as well as all of us who love high school sports.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2025
Filmmaker, activist and all-around mensch Michael Moore may dress like he's in goblin mode, but is decidedly not.
From Salon • Dec. 25, 2022
My Justin, who will always be the face of the Dodgers, was a mensch, a real human being, who along with his wife, Kourtney, did marvelously caring services for the entire Los Angeles community.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2022
Paul instinctively recoils from the hypocrisies around him, and late in “Armageddon Time,” his grandfather gives him an invaluable tutorial in how to be a mensch rather than a passive bystander.
From Washington Post • Nov. 2, 2022
“I don’t know, you sure you want to go? A good mensch like yourself ought to stick to something a bit more, dare I say, kosher.”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
