human

1 of 2

adjective

hu·man ˈhyü-mən

ˈyü-

Synonyms of human next

: of, relating to, or characteristic of humans (see human entry 2)

the human brain

human voices

problems that have occurred throughout human history

: consisting of or involving humans

everyone held hands and made a human chain

human interactions

human spaceflight

: having human form or attributes

the statue is more human than the beings at his feet—

Clifton Fadiman

: 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

humanness

ˈhyü-mən-nəs

ˈyü-

noun

human

2 of 2

noun

: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) : a person : man sense 1c

—usually plural

a disease that affects both humans and animalsincomprehensible to us humans—

William James

broadly : hominid

the least developed of all ancestral humans —

A. L. Kroeber

humanlike

ˈhyü-mən-ˌlīk

ˈyü-

adjective

Example Sentences

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Mount Hinman and its neighbors gained protection from direct human disturbance in 1976 when they were designated part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. —

John Ryan, oregonlive, 28 Jan. 2023 After his daughter called the police, officers arrived and one of them accused members of the Tamimi family of attacking the settlers, according to the human-rights group. —

Raja Shehadeh, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2023 As a robot specifically built for agile mobility and lacking the free will to do anything other than what its program and human operator dictate, Spot seemed set up for success. —

Jess Joho, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2023 In December 2022, the crew member filed a human-rights complaint against the airline in Washington state. —

Rory Satran, WSJ, 28 Jan. 2023 This past weekend, the Wall Street Journal columnist took to the paper’s doughty op-ed page to sound off on George Santos, the human falsehood fountain who now serves New York’s 3rd congressional district. —

Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 28 Jan. 2023 For example, your phone uses A.I. to recognize your face and ChatGPT, which made headlines in 2022, can generate human conversations. —

Kells Mcphillips, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2023 Her family said Sanders, a loving mother, was seriously mentally ill in the years leading up to the killings, obsessed with the Illuminati and human sacrifice, and had refused treatment. —

BostonGlobe.com, 28 Jan. 2023 Cynthia Curl, PhD, MS, an associate professor who focuses on the intersection between agriculture and human health at Boise State University, said the USDA is making an investment in increasing consumer confidence in the organic label. —

Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 27 Jan. 2023

Noun

Gemma, however, has set her sights on a more ambitious product, a human-like android that bonds with its child owner and learns from their interactions. —

Brian Lowry, CNN, 5 Jan. 2023 Native American human remains excavated from federal and tribal lands. —

Dr. Len Necefer, Outside Online, 13 Dec. 2022 The ancient human remains found along the path of the train are kept in cardboard boxes. —

Whitney Leaming, Washington Post, 9 Dec. 2022 The human remains found in the trunk of the car have not yet been identified. —

Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 28 Nov. 2022 The human remains found in the Superior Landfill in Savannah, Georgia, on Nov. 18, were confirmed through DNA analysis to be from Simon, who was reported missing Oct. 5 in Georgia, authorities said. —

Gina Martinez, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2022 City police said last week that human remains discovered in the woods nearby likely belonged to the missing Florida dad. —

Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 25 Oct. 2022 The Lake County Coroner’s office will conduct a forensic autopsy Monday on a set of partial human remains found in Griffith Saturday morning. —

Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2022 Shipwreck, human remains found in the Mississippi River Decreasing water levels along the Mississippi River, one of the most important trade routes in the country, have been causing ripple effects worldwide. —

Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2022 See More

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