human

adjective hu·man \ ˈhyü-mən , ˈyü- \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

Definition of human

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of humans (see ²human)

the human brain

human voices

problems that have occurred throughout human history

2 : consisting of humans

everyone held hands and made a human chain

3 a : having human form or attributes

the statue is more human than the beings at his feet
—Clifton Fadiman

b : representative of or susceptible to the sympathies and frailties of human nature

human kindness

a human weakness

such an inconsistency is very human
—P. E. More

—

humanness

play \ˈhyü-mən-nəs, ˈyü-\ noun

See human defined for English-language learners

See human defined for kids

Examples of human in a Sentence

problems that have occurred throughout human history
She is a very kind and human person.
The dog's expression was almost human.
The assembly line was a human machine.
Everyone held hands and formed a human chain.

Recent Examples of human from the Web

THIS year marks the 200th anniversary of the first successful human-to-human blood transfusion, conducted by James Blundell, an English obstetrician working just across the Thames from The Economist’s offices.

— The Economist, "Lift bans on paying for human-blood plasma," 12 May 2018
Of course, one Red Bike user took issue with the bike-share allowing the bird to do something that would typically cost a human using the service $8.

— mallorie sullivan, Cincinnati.com, "A bird started her family inside a Cincy Red Bike. So they locked the bike down.," 12 May 2018
Because there is no category of simply human freedom possible in America, now or ever.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Kanye West and the Question of Freedom," 11 May 2018
Already, people are using AI systems in their homes, in less human-sounding phone answering services, and many other applications.

— jason lemon, ajc, "Should we be concerned about Google's new human-like AI assistant?," 11 May 2018
Minimalist and icy, Arctic captures the utter indifference of wild nature to human existence — and the will of some humans to keep on existing anyhow.

— alissa wilkinson, Vox, "It’s Mads Mikkelsen versus the arctic wilderness in first-time director Joe Penna’s arthouse survival film.," 11 May 2018
This year Google used the keynote stage to show off some of its advancements in artificial intelligence, including a demo of an eerily-human-like robot caller that can call the hair salon or a restaurant and make appointments on your behalf.

— lauren goode, WIRED, "Google’s Human-Robot Caller," 11 May 2018
His movie is steeped in the digital world but remarkably human.

— richard turner, WSJ, "Superhero Fatigue? Check Out These Indie Films," 10 May 2018
Google is still debating how to unleash it, and how human to make the technology, several employees said during the conference.

— mark bergen, chicagotribune.com, "Google grapples with 'horrifying' reaction to uncanny AI tech," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'human.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of human

Middle English humain, from Anglo-French, from Latin humanus; akin to Latin homo human being — more at homage

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

human Synonyms

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

human

noun

Definition of human

: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) : a person : man 1c —usually plural

a disease that affects both humans and animals

incomprehensible to us humans
—William James

; broadly : hominid

the least developed of all ancestral humans
—A. L. Kroeber

—

humanlike

play \ˈhyü-mən-ˌlīk, ˈyü-\ adjective

See human defined for English-language learners

Examples of human in a Sentence

humans are the only mammals not endowed with a natural defense against the elements, such as fur or a thick hide

Recent Examples of human from the Web

Misc Four cats on driveway waiting for humans to come down the driveway home Julie Rubio Susie Dezarn Gary Elder Ned Heller The sun keeps shining though the moon has its moment.

— courier-journal.com, "Holiday Haiku," 15 May 2018
The work is in snails, animals that have proven a powerful model organism for neuroscience but whose simple brains work far differently than those of humans.

— usha lee mcfarling, STAT, "Memory transferred between snails, challenging standard theory of how the brain remembers," 14 May 2018
Set aside time each day to study and grow as a lawyer, and as a human being.

— katie reilly, Time, "Rod Rosenstein Tells Law Graduates to Fall Back on ‘Your Own Moral Principles’ During Ethical Dilemmas," 11 May 2018
Ancient tools on Mediterranean islands could predate the appearance of modern humans—suggesting Neanderthals took to the seas.

— christopher intagliata, Scientific American, "Archaeologist Makes Case for Seafaring Neanderthals," 4 May 2018
In fact, similar relics were so common on eBay as of 2016 that some offended Catholics launched a petition to prevent their sale, since selling bone, hair and other bits and pieces of humans, whether saints or sinners, is against the site’s policy.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "No, the Bone of Saint Clement Was Probably Not Just Found in London’s Trash," 4 May 2018
But to Silverman, a writer and performer who teaches storytelling and creative writing workshops under the name Creative Rites, goats are ideal for unleashing animalistic creativity in humans.

— jennifer swann, Los Angeles Magazine, "At L.A.’s First-Ever Goat Improv Workshop, the Scene Partners Are Animals," 1 May 2018
First of all, every human being has the capacity to be intuitive.

— lilli sherman, Bon Appetit, "There's a Crystal For That: A Highly Specific Guide," 30 Apr. 2018
Naturally dark skies contribute to the complex ecosystem of wildlife, allowing nocturnal animals to thrive and even affecting the circadian rhythms of humans and plants.

— lauren ro, Curbed, "Utah national park gets Dark Sky Sanctuary designation," 25 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of human

see ¹human

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1509

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

human Synonyms

Synonyms

being, bird, body, character, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight;

Near Antonyms

animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter;

Related Words

hominid, humanoid;

brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor;

celebrity, personality, self, somebody;

Phrases

son of man;

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

HUMAN Defined for English Language Learners

human

adjective

Definition of human for English Language Learners

: of, relating to, or affecting people
: typical of people
: having good or bad qualities that people usually have

human

noun

Definition of human for English Language Learners

: a person

HUMAN Defined for Kids

human

adjective hu·man \ ˈhyü-mən , ˈyü- \

Definition of human for Students

1 : of, being, or characteristic of people as distinct from animals

the human body

2 : having the form or characteristics of people

The expression on the dog's face was almost human.

human

noun

Definition of human for Students

: human being

—

humanlike

\ˈhyü-mən-ˌlīk, ˈyü-\ adjective

Medical Dictionary

human

adjective hu·man \ ˈhyü-mən , ˈyü- \

medical Definition of human

1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of humans

the human body

human biochemistry

b : primarily or usually harbored by, affecting, or attacking humans

human diseases

human parasites

2 : being or consisting of humans

the human race

3 : consisting of members of the family Hominidae : hominid

—

humanness

play \-mən-nəs\ noun

human

noun

medical Definition of human

: a bipedal primate mammal of the genus Homo (H. sapiens) : man; broadly : hominid

—

humanlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

Learn More about human

See words that rhyme with human Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for human Spanish Central: Translation of human Nglish: Translation of human for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of human for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about human

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human

Definition of human

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Origin and Etymology of human

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Synonyms

Antonyms

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Other Anthropology Terms

human

Definition of human

humanlike

Examples of human in a Sentence

Recent Examples of human from the Web

Origin and Etymology of human

human Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

Other Anthropology Terms

HUMAN Defined for English Language Learners

human

Definition of human for English Language Learners

human

Definition of human for English Language Learners

HUMAN Defined for Kids

human

Definition of human for Students

human

Definition of human for Students

humanlike

Medical Dictionary

human

medical Definition of human

humanness

human

medical Definition of human

humanlike

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