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
humanely
adverb
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
My goal is an immigration system that is secure, orderly and humane.
—
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
For individual spiders, humane removal is recommended, while larger infestations may require professional help.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Sue Hendrickson — who did not have a high school diploma — received her first university credentials in the form of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of Illinois Chicago.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
Loosely based on the nonfiction book You and I—The Illness Suddenly Gets Worse by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono, the story follows the French director of a nursing home who attempts to introduce a more humane care technique and meets a terminally ill Japanese playwright.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for humane
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Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
For individual spiders, humane removal is recommended, while larger infestations may require professional help.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Sue Hendrickson — who did not have a high school diploma — received her first university credentials in the form of an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of Illinois Chicago.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2026
Loosely based on the nonfiction book You and I—The Illness Suddenly Gets Worse by Makiko Miyano and Maho Isono, the story follows the French director of a nursing home who attempts to introduce a more humane care technique and meets a terminally ill Japanese playwright.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for humane
Cite this Entry
“Humane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humane. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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