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sapiens

American  
[sey-pee-uhnz] / ˈseɪ pi ənz /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling modern humans (Homo sapiens ).


Etymology

Origin of sapiens

Borrowed into English from New Latin around 1935–40

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.

Nominally the case turned on OpenAI’s conversion to a for-profit company and Mr. Musk’s worries about Homo sapiens being displaced by superintelligent robots.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

The study also explored genetic material inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans, two ancient human groups that interbred with Homo sapiens tens of thousands of years ago.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

In recent decades, many biologists and anthropologists have come to view Homo sapiens as what’s called a “cooperative breeder.”

From Slate • May 10, 2026

The study, published in Nature in 2023, compared genetic material from present day African populations with fossil evidence from early Homo sapiens populations.

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

Speeding down this fast lane, Homo sapiens soon far outstripped all other human and animal species in its ability to cooperate.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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