nonhuman

adjective

non·​hu·​man ˌnän-ˈhyü-mən How to pronounce nonhuman (audio)
-ˈyü-
: not human: such as
a
: being other than a human being
a nonhuman primate/animal
b
: not belonging to, appropriate to, or produced by human beings
nonhuman noises
nonhuman cells
nonhuman noun
Discarding the doctrine of human dignity can mean lowering the moral status of humans or raising the moral status of nonhumans, and Mr. Rachels's emphasis is ultimately on the latter. Robert Wright

Examples of nonhuman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The concept had never been found in nonhuman species — until now. Saul Elbein, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025 Another critique of some animal memoirs is that authors stray into anthropomorphism, assigning human traits to their nonhuman subjects. Alexandra Alter, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2025 The fact that there has been recovery of technology of nonhuman origin. Selome Hailu, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025 Will listening to nonhuman animals inspire greater protection for the more-than-human world? David Gruber, Time, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nonhuman

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonhuman was in 1839

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Cite this Entry

“Nonhuman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonhuman. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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