inhumane

adjective

in·​hu·​mane ˌin-(ˌ)hyü-ˈmān 

-(ˌ)yü-

: not humane : inhuman sense 1

the inhumane treatment of prisoners

inhumanely adverb

Synonyms of inhumane

• ruthless
• merciless
• stony

Examples of inhumane in a Sentence

inhumane wardens who regularly ignored the crying children in their care

an inhumane dictator who tortured and murdered thousands of his own people

Recent Examples on the Web

The reporting has been gratuitous and inhumane, no one deserves this hounding. — Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

This cynical and inhumane terrorist attack against children cannot be justified. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Capping things off, New York has also prohibited localities from entering into contracts to allow ICE to use their jails as part of its inhumane national detention system. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026

In June, the New Jersey attorney general filed a lawsuit against the site’s operator, The GEO Group, urging a court to close the facility until the state could inspect it over longstanding allegations of inhumane conditions. — Alex Stambaugh, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French inhumain & Latin inhumanus

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inhumane

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• halothane
• hurricane
• hyperplane

Kids Definition

inhumane

adjective

in·​hu·​mane ˌin-(ˌ)hyü-ˈmān 

-(ˌ)yü-

: not humane : inhuman sense 1

inhumane treatment of prisoners

inhumanely adverb