humanism

noun

hu·​man·​ism ˈhyü-mə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce humanism (audio)
ˈyü-
1
a
: devotion to the humanities : literary culture
b
: the revival of classical letters, individualistic and critical spirit, and emphasis on secular concerns characteristic of the Renaissance
2
: devotion to human welfare : humanitarianism
renowned for his humanism
3
: a doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values
especially : a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual's dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason : secular humanism
humanist noun or adjective
humanistic adjective
humanistically adverb

Examples of humanism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The spirit of his work, which earned him a humanism in medicine scholarship in medical school, is what prompted him to call Sutton-Schulman. Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025 Louis Black [Editor and publisher, The Austin Chronicle; cofounder, South by Southwest]: The Butthole Surfers never lost sight of their humanism. Pat Blashill, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025 Palmer’s purpose throughout is to take the humanism out of the umanisti, as those who taught the Greek and Latin classics were called. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 28 July 2025 Ashby’s influence lives on — in the patient realism of Kelly Reichardt, in the humanism of Alexander Payne, in the quiet despair of Noah Baumbach. Arkansas Online, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for humanism

Word History

Etymology

see human entry 1

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of humanism was in 1836

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Cite this Entry

“Humanism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humanism. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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