human nature

noun

: the nature of humans

especially : the fundamental dispositions and traits of humans

Examples of human nature in a Sentence

You can't change human nature.

Recent Examples on the Web

Both were at odds with human nature. —Mark Patinkin, The Providence Journal, 7 Mar. 2026

The setting, characters and costumes place viewers squarely in a whimsical world, though that all gets starkly juxtaposed against real human nature when Cummings offers the players an antidote that will save them should they be revealed as the traitors’ secret sacrifice. —Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2026

That this passion for art has given it any greater understanding of actual human nature might be. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026

But this candid and absorbing memoir is also a stark reminder of the corruptions of power, the uncertainties of revolution and the frequent viciousness of human nature. —Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for human nature

• legislature
• nomenclature

Kids Definition

human nature

noun

: the nature of human beings

especially : the ways of thinking, acting, and reacting that are common to most or all human beings or that are learned in social situations