humane

adjective

hu·mane | \ hyü-ˈmān,

yü-\

Definition of humane

1 : marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals humane prison guards a more humane way of treating farm animals

2 : characterized by or tending to broad humanistic culture : humanistic humane studies

Other Words from humane Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about humane

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of humane in a Sentence

It's not humane to treat animals that way. Conditions in the prison are more humane now.

Recent Examples on the Web

University of Florida researches say bashing in an iguana’s head and destroying its brain quickly is the most humane way to kill one. — Ellie Rushing, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Out of control iguanas infesting South Florida," 22 June 2018 Most importantly, though, Science Fair makes clear that its subjects are humane, working on things like simple testing for arsenic in water, a defense against Zika virus, or a better understanding of at-risk teens. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "See Science Fair even if you’ve never entered one in your life," 16 Sep. 2018 The other bill Republicans had been planning a vote on would have terminated ICE within a year of Congress enacting ‘a humane immigration enforcement system’ to be designed by a commission the legislation would establish. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Is 2018 really all about Russia?," 18 July 2018 The Women’s Refugee Commission, which has long observed the practice of family detentions, has released multiple reports over the last decade on family detentions which argued that there is no humane way of detaining families. — Maya Rhodan, Time, "There Are Effective Alternatives to Family Detention. The Trump Administration Already Ended One," 22 June 2018 Advocates such as Sara Ramey, an attorney and executive director for the Migrant Center for Human Rights, insist there are better, more humane ways to deal with undocumented families like the Villatoros. — Rosa Flores, CNN, "Mom and 4 children forced to separate after seeking asylum in US," 5 June 2018 Chalk was cheaper than bullets, and forcing Indians to assimilate was considered more humane than killing them. — Jeff Gammage, Philly.com, "A search for native children who died on 'Outings' in Pa.," 2 May 2018 Decapitating the animals without anesthesia would kill them but not be considered humane. — Susannah Bryan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "To combat iguana problem, researchers bash in reptiles’ heads," 9 Mar. 2018 Casias said the Honduran government is hopeful that Trump's executive order will result in more humane treatment of migrants. — Diane Smith And Hanaa’ Tameez, star-telegram, "Father who fled gangs and escaped kidnappers: If they send us back we could be killed," 22 June 2018

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