1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of humans (see human entry 2)
the human brain
human voices
problems that have occurred throughout human history
2
: consisting of or involving humans
everyone held hands and made a human chain
human interactions
human spaceflight
3
a
: having human form or attributes
the statue is more human than the beings at his feet—
Clifton Fadiman
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
P. E. More
: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) : a person : man sense 1c
—usually plural
a disease that affects both humans and animals
incomprehensible to us humans—William James
William JamesSynonyms
Adjective
Noun
Examples of human in a Sentence
Adjective
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.
Noun
humans are the only mammals not endowed with a natural defense against the elements, such as fur or a thick hide
Recent Examples on the WebPaul Tugwell, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
While its human population is rather tiny, its wild goat population is so robust at roughly 600 goats that the animals have begun overwhelming residents, leaving the government with a problem to solve, officials told CNN.
—USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
The bill is intended to prevent a glut of zombie AI performances, which would compete in the marketplace against human performers, both living and dead.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
The many facets of Robert Pattinson were on display in the first trailer for Mickey 17, the upcoming film from Bong Joon Ho that delves into human printing, identity and space colonization.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
The novels on this year's International Booker Prize shortlist span cultures, styles and the breadth of human experience.
—Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Under siege, OpenAI is turning to some of the world’s top legal and political human minds.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and technology, the James Webb Space Telescope targets TRAPPIST-1 in an attempt to detect atmospheres around these rocky exoplanets.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) with a melamine coating, a material often used by the Swedish company, Panton’s chair has obliquely angled back and leg panels, held together with screws, that hardly seem strong enough to stand up on their own, much less accommodate a human body.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Phyllis Fagell, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Some kind of mutant-insect infestation happened off-screen long before the main action of the film, which amounts to shaky, handheld snatches of the surviving humans making dumb decisions that may hasten their own extinction.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
The traps are odorless, easy to insert, completely non-toxic to humans and pets, UV-resistant, and waterproof.
—Monica Bell, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
So the King hires a hitman (the adorable Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas) to murder him, so their daughter, who was placed under a spell at birth that turns her into an ogre at midnight, can break the spell and become a beautiful human.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
The making and using of tools was long thought a hallmark of humans.
—Ralph Blumenthal, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The goats who outnumber humans by about six to one.
—USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Fracture strength wasn’t the only factor important to ancient humans.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024
Pohl emphasises the power of horses interacting with humans, explaining that horses are non-predatory animals and must be constantly vigilant.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Aegis’s aim is to protect human life, property, forests and the country’s natural beauty and ecology amid mounting climate threats, Climate Change and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said last week.
—Paul Tugwell, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
While its human population is rather tiny, its wild goat population is so robust at roughly 600 goats that the animals have begun overwhelming residents, leaving the government with a problem to solve, officials told CNN.
—USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
The bill is intended to prevent a glut of zombie AI performances, which would compete in the marketplace against human performers, both living and dead.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
The many facets of Robert Pattinson were on display in the first trailer for Mickey 17, the upcoming film from Bong Joon Ho that delves into human printing, identity and space colonization.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
The novels on this year's International Booker Prize shortlist span cultures, styles and the breadth of human experience.
—Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Under siege, OpenAI is turning to some of the world’s top legal and political human minds.
—Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and technology, the James Webb Space Telescope targets TRAPPIST-1 in an attempt to detect atmospheres around these rocky exoplanets.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF) with a melamine coating, a material often used by the Swedish company, Panton’s chair has obliquely angled back and leg panels, held together with screws, that hardly seem strong enough to stand up on their own, much less accommodate a human body.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
Elissa Strauss: Caregiving is an ongoing dependent relationship in which one human is dependent on another human, if not to thrive than at least to survive.
—Phyllis Fagell, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Some kind of mutant-insect infestation happened off-screen long before the main action of the film, which amounts to shaky, handheld snatches of the surviving humans making dumb decisions that may hasten their own extinction.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
The traps are odorless, easy to insert, completely non-toxic to humans and pets, UV-resistant, and waterproof.
—Monica Bell, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
So the King hires a hitman (the adorable Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas) to murder him, so their daughter, who was placed under a spell at birth that turns her into an ogre at midnight, can break the spell and become a beautiful human.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
The making and using of tools was long thought a hallmark of humans.
—Ralph Blumenthal, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
The goats who outnumber humans by about six to one.
—USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Fracture strength wasn’t the only factor important to ancient humans.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024
Pohl emphasises the power of horses interacting with humans, explaining that horses are non-predatory animals and must be constantly vigilant.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'human.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near human
Cite this Entry
“Human.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
human
1 of 2 adjective
hu·man
ˈhyü-mən 
ˈyü-
1
: relating to or characteristic of human beings
especially
: showing qualities typical of human beings
a human failing
2
: consisting of human beings
the human race
3
: having human form or characteristics
the dog's expression was almost human
Medical Definition
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 genus Homo
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