human

From Late Middle English humayne, humain, from Middle French humain, from Old French humain, umain, from Latin hūmānus m (“of or belonging to a man, human, humane”, adjective), from homo, with unclear ū. Spelling human has been predominant since the early 18th century.[1]

• enPR: hyo͞oʹmən, IPA^(key): /ˈhjuː.mən/, [ˈçju̟mən], [ˈçju̟mn̩]
• (NYC, some other dialects) IPA^(key): /ˈju.mən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːmən
• Hyphenation: hu‧man

human (comparative more human, superlative most human)

1. (not comparable) Of or belonging to the species Homo sapiens or its closest relatives.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene vi:

     Some powers diuine, or els infernall, mixt / Their angry ſeedes at his conception: / For he was neuer ſprong of humaine race, / Since with the ſpirit of his fearefull pride, / He dares so doubtleſly reſolue of rule.

   • 1660, [Richard Allestree], “Sect[ion] V. Of the Second Advantage, Wealth.”, in The Gentlemans Calling, London: […] T[imothy] Garthwait […], →OCLC, page 83:

     [N]o attempt is made to call in God to their reſcue, as if he vvere an idle unconcern'd ſpectator of humane affairs, or ſo inconſiderable an ally, as not to be vvorth the care of engaging him on their ſide.

   • 2013 June 7, David Simpson, “Fantasy of navigation”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 36:

     Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

2. (comparable) Having the nature or attributes of a human being.

   To err is human; to forgive, divine.

   • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

     She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:

     The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.

   • 2011 August 17, Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., The Many Wars of Google: Handset makers will learn to live with their new ‘frenemy’, Business World, Wall Street Journal,

     Google wouldn't be human if it didn't want some of this loot, which buying Motorola would enable it to grab.

• humane (obsolete)

• mannish, mennish (now rare)

• inhuman
• nonhuman
• unhuman

• animalian (in its sense including all Animalia)
• mammalian

Pages starting with “human”.

• humane
• humanitarian
• humanitarianism
• humanity

Rendition of the humans on the Pioneer 10 plaque.

human (plural humans)

1. (strictly, biology) The tallest, most abundant and most intelligent of primates; Homo sapiens.

   Synonyms: human being, man; see also Thesaurus:person

   Humans share common ancestors with other apes.

   • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:

     Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola.

   • 2013 April 18, Rock Paper Cynic (webcomic):

     If I ever have to choose between a future where killer robots hunt humans or a future where bacon supplies have run out ... Let's just say you better start running.

   1. (fantasy, science fiction, mythology) A human as contrasted from superficially similar but typically more powerful humanoid creatures; a member of the human race.
      • 1994 March 29, Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes:

        Greetings. I am Blor-Utar from Zimtok-5. I have come to subjugate the human race. Do not resist. Why humans? Because, in addition to their value as slave labor, they are also delicious and nutritious!

   2. (fantasy, science fiction) A term of address for any human, often implying the listener's species is their only noteworthy trait.
      • 2011 December 29, Alex Culang, Raynato Castro, Buttersafe‎ (webcomic):

        Greetings, human! You have stumbled into the dimension of the Snow People. […] Flesh plows clear the streets to make them safe to drive. […] Does this shock you, human? Do the ways of our world open your eyes to the truths of your own?

2. (broadly) Any hominid of the genus Homo.

human (third-person singular simple present humans, present participle humaning or humanning, simple past and past participle humaned or humanned)

1. (rare) To behave as or become, or to cause to behave as or become, a human.
   • 1911, Ambrose Bierce, “Music”, in The collected works of Ambrose Bierce, volume 9, page 362:

     […] he sought to charm a single pair of ears, and those more hairy than critical. Later, as the race went on humaning, there grew complexity of sentiment and varying emotional needs, […]

   • 2013, Biosocial Becomings, →ISBN, page 19:

     There are, then, many ways of humaning: these are the ways along which we make ourselves and, collaboratively, one another.

• human on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “human”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “human”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “human”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• Nahum

• Hyphenation: hu‧man

human

1. to finish

human

1. completed; done

human

1. after

For quotations using this term, see Citations:human.

human

1. human (having the nature or attributes of a human being)

   Synonym: menneskelig

2. humane (something done from love to humanity)

• IPA^(key): /huˈmaːn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːn

human (strong nominative masculine singular humaner, comparative humaner, superlative am humansten)

1. humane

   Synonym: menschlich

• Humanismus
• Humanist
• humanistisch

• “human” in Duden online
• “human” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

human (comparative plus human, superlative le plus human)

1. human
2. humane

• esser human

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈhuman/

human

1. first-person singular present indicative of hupmat (“speak, talk”)

From Latin hūmānus.

human (neuter singular humant, definite singular and plural humane)

1. humane

• “human” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Latin hūmānus.

human (neuter singular humant, definite singular and plural humane)

1. humane

• “human” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

From Latin hūmānus.

human m (feminine singular humana, masculine plural humans, feminine plural humanas)

1. (Sursilvan) human

• uman (Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Vallader)
• umaun (Puter)

human m (plural humans; feminine humana, plural humanas)

1. (Sursilvan) (male) human being

   Synonym: carstgaun

• uman (Rumantsch Grischun, Surmiran, Vallader)
• umaun (Puter)

• IPA^(key): /xûmaːn/
• Hyphenation: hu‧man

hȕmān (definite hȕmānī, comparative humaniji, Cyrillic spelling ху̏ма̄н)

1. humane (with regard for the health and well-being of another; compassionate)

human

1. third-person plural present indicative of humar

human

1. humane, decent, compassionate

   Deras politik har kritiserats för att inte vara human.

   Their politics have been criticised for being less than humane.

2. (of prices) reasonable

   Det var ett humant pris.

   That was a reasonable price.