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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A member of the genus Homo and especially of the species H. sapiens.
  2. n. A person: the extraordinary humans who explored Antarctica.
  3. adj. Of, relating to, or characteristic of humans: the course of human events; the human race.
  4. adj. Having or showing those positive aspects of nature and character regarded as distinguishing humans from other animals: an act of human kindness.
  5. adj. Subject to or indicative of the weaknesses, imperfections, and fragility associated with humans: a mistake that shows he's only human; human frailty.
  6. adj. Having the form of a human.
  7. adj. Made up of humans: formed a human bridge across the ice.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of man or of mankind; having the qualities or attributes of man: as, human life or nature; a human being; human shape.
  2. Pertaining to the sphere, nature, or faculties of man; relative or proper to mankind; mundane; secular; not divine: as, human knowledge, wisdom, or science; human affairs.
  3. In astrology, a sign of the zodiac corresponding to a constellation having for its figure a human being. The human signs are Gemini, Virgo, Aquarius, and the first half of Sagittarius. Synonyms Human, etc. See humane.
  4. n. A human being; a member of the family of mankind.
  5. n. Mars, Mars (said he), thou plague of men, smear'd with the dust and bloud
  6. In geology, noting the period of the later beds of the Post-tertiary or Quaternary series (the recent, alluvial, and post-glacial periods). The mammals are all, or nearly all, of still living species. The epithet human is not strictly applicable to this series, for it is quite certain that man coexisted with the fauna of the Pleistocene period.

Wiktionary

  1. adj. Of or belonging to the species Homo sapiens or its closest relatives.
  2. adj. Having the nature or attributes of a human being.
  3. n. A human being, whether man, woman or child.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Belonging to man or mankind; having the qualities or attributes of a man; of or pertaining to man or to the race of man
  2. n. A human being.

WordNet 3.0

  1. adj. having human form or attributes as opposed to those of animals or divine beings
  2. adj. relating to a person
  3. adj. characteristic of humanity
  4. n. any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage

Etymologies

  1. Middle English humain, from Old French, from Latin hūmānus; see dhghem- in Indo-European roots.

Examples

  • “Labeld them as “human weeds” “reckless breeders” “spawning..human beings who never should have beenborn”.”

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Whitewashing Progressivism

  • “Labeld them as “human weeds” “reckless breeders” “spawning..human beings who never should have been born”.”

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Whitewashing Progressivism

  • “(The passage from Diogenes quoted in the previous section, according to which Pyrrho held “that human beings do everything by convention and habit” is not necessarily in conflict with this; by ˜human beings™ Pyrrho might have meant ordinary human beings, among whom he would not have included himself.)”

    Fictionaut: Picnic

  • “Oh wait, he didn't mean that the broad sweeping claims are that human CO2 causes global warming and or that the ulterior motives are political power, prestige and funding, which can only be attached to *human* caused warming.”

    "I’m a religious fanatic just like you."

  • “Once again see my much earlier comments re: Bicentennial man, if memory serves about why human and human+ AIs are less useful than they might seem.”

    The Speculist: Will "The Three Laws" Be Useful?

  • “How human, how lusciously _human_!" he exclaimed.”

    The Bent Twig

  • “It is from this point of observation that our humour is suddenly made aware of the startling absurdity of human institution; and not only of _human_ institution; for it is made aware also of the absurdity of the whole fantastic scheme of this portentous universe.”

    Suspended Judgments Essays on Books and Sensations

  • “If people do anything that is generally called "immoral," they will excuse themselves on the grounds of human nature; they will say: "After all, _human nature being what it is_, you must expect this, that and the other kind of licence and immorality"; and to say that morality, real morality, can only be based on the realities of human nature will therefore sound to many of you the wildest kind of paradox.”

    Sex and Common-Sense

  • “Women, difficult as some people find it to believe, are human beings; and because women are so, they want work, and interest, and love -- both given and received -- and children, and, in short, the satisfaction of every _human_ need.”

    Sex and Common-Sense

  • “NATURAL phenomenon of human life brings us to the scientifical source of ethics and I prove that the so-called “highest ideals of humanity” have nothing of “sentimentalism” or of the “_super_natural” in them, but are exclusively the _fulfilment_ of the _natural laws_ for the _human class of life_.”

    Manhood of Humanity.

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Lists

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  • pterodactyl For some reason, I associate the "yuman" pronunciation with Californians -- but this map does not support me in this. Apr 10, 2008

  • oroboros If you're a human you only have two things: your life, and your attention. --Jan Cox Apr 20, 2007

‘human’ has been looked up 2337 times, loved by 2 people, added to 31 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 10.