1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

human 1 of 2

adjective

ˈhyü-mən How to pronounce human (audio)
Definition of humannext
as in natural
relating to or characteristic of human beings it's human nature to care about what people think of us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

human

2 of 2

noun

as in person
a member of the human race humans are the only mammals not endowed with a natural defense against the elements, such as fur or a thick hide

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of human
Adjective
For Frankfurt, as for Murdoch, the work of being human involves interrogating the motives and assumptions that guide our actions, asking whether our desires are truly desirable. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 In the 250 years since Newton introduced his famous laws of motion, physicists had come to believe their equations described a reality that was entirely independent of human action or interpretation. — Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
What happens when millions of humans across the globe spend hours a day talking to a robot? — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2026 Under current biological constraints, humans appear unlikely to live much longer than that. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for human
Recent Examples of Synonyms for human
  1. natural
  2. person
  3. mortal
  4. life
  5. man
  6. guy
  7. creature
  8. individual
Adjective
  • Inspired by this natural technique, the development tackles a fundamental challenge in aerial robotics.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
  • When men receive testosterone externally, the body typically reduces — or even stops — its natural sperm production.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of natural
Noun
  • Macklemore invited Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots and the person who pressured Messina Tour Group to fire him, to match his donation.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • There was a large fight on campus and a report of a person armed with a gun, resulting in a lockdown Thursday at Plantation High School, according to police.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of person
Adjective
  • Its grief is processual, a crucible that takes the shape its actors and characters mold of it while defying mere mortal charge.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Jeremiah Smith still gets his — 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown — but Colin Simmons and the Texas pass rush make Julian Sayin look mortal long enough for Arch Manning to rally the Longhorns in the fourth quarter.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of mortal
Noun
  • September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to honor the lives lost to suicide, to stand with the families and communities suicide has touched, and to renew our commitment to prevention.
    — Courtney Marx, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • This program was a life-changer for families and kids who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford private school tuition.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of life
Noun
  • For the first few days, they were held in a room crammed with up to 80 men, with just a handful of open toilets, in frigid conditions and with only a thin towel to sleep under, before being moved to two-person cells.
    — Hanna Park, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has some new digs—an Airstream trailer in Memphis, parked just steps from xAI’s most ambitious project yet.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of man
Noun
  • This guy seemed all right, so why not meet up with him just to try it out?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim — those guys wrote proper musicals.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of guy
Noun
  • The material inequities that result from anti-Blackness, housing discrimination, or financial insecurity are conveniently absent; Yrsa is a creature absorbed by her own grievances and frustrations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Riparian habitats, like creeks flowing through canyons, are home to sensitive creatures including California newts, frogs and toads.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of creature
Noun
  • In what will always be a team sport, there is now a sharper focus than ever on individuals.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • They were won through the relentless efforts of individuals advocating for justice.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of individual

Phrases Containing human

Browse Nearby Words

hum
human
human being
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Human.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/human. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on human

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about human

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of elegiac

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All