1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of humans (see human entry 2)
the human brain
human voices
problems that have occurred throughout human history
2
: consisting of or involving humans
everyone held hands and made a human chain
human interactions
human spaceflight
3
a
: having human form or attributes
the statue is more human than the beings at his feet—
Clifton Fadiman
Clifton Fadiman
b
: 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
P. E. More
: a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) : a person : man sense 1c
—usually plural
a disease that affects both humans and animals
incomprehensible to us humans—William James
William JamesSynonyms
Adjective
Noun
Examples of human in a Sentence
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
Recent Examples on the WebAndrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The human cost is likely more severe than law enforcement can quantify.
—Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
Does soy milk have estrogen? Soy contains isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen that functions similarly to human estrogen but with weaker effects.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
Batters have about two-tenths of a second to decide whether to swing; the muscles in a human eye don’t work quickly enough to track the fastest fastballs.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
People did not bathe much in those days and by placing leaves that released pleased smells when walking upon, unpleasant human odors could be disguised.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
The interactive table displays an accurate 3D representation of human and animal bodies.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Rumors and Innuendo Claims of books bound in human skin have circulated for centuries.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Aegis’s aim is to protect human life, property, forests and the country’s natural beauty and ecology amid mounting climate threats, Climate Change and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said last week.
—Paul Tugwell, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
Paul Eremenko, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
Despite their nickname, killer whales are not generally considered dangerous to humans.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
The return to registers staffed by humans at the Walmart store in Shrewsbury, a suburb of St. Louis, comes a month after Target announced only those buying 10 items or less could use the self-checkout lane at its stores, and Dollar General reduced self-checkout at thousands of its locations.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024
In their new paper, the researchers reported evidence for human occupation of the lava tube between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age—in other words, humans made use of the tube for millennia.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
Faster and more automated cooking technology may well be imminent, but humans will still be involved for years to come.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
The character reappears as a costumed human who scales down the walls of the building to pose for photos with parkgoers at ground level.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the Xenomorphs are used to ripping apart flesh-and-blood humans, not living gods with indestructible skin and mythic weapons.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2024
Elissa Strauss: Caregiving is an ongoing dependent relationship in which one human is dependent on another human, if not to thrive than at least to survive.
—Phyllis Fagell, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Solving the mystery of a human jawbone found in an Arizona boy’s rock collection.
Pets and wildlife
The Mojave desert tortoise officially joins California’s endangered list.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The human cost is likely more severe than law enforcement can quantify.
—Jim Axelrod, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
Does soy milk have estrogen? Soy contains isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen that functions similarly to human estrogen but with weaker effects.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
Batters have about two-tenths of a second to decide whether to swing; the muscles in a human eye don’t work quickly enough to track the fastest fastballs.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
People did not bathe much in those days and by placing leaves that released pleased smells when walking upon, unpleasant human odors could be disguised.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
The interactive table displays an accurate 3D representation of human and animal bodies.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Rumors and Innuendo Claims of books bound in human skin have circulated for centuries.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Aegis’s aim is to protect human life, property, forests and the country’s natural beauty and ecology amid mounting climate threats, Climate Change and Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias said last week.
—Paul Tugwell, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
Airplanes are some of the most complex feats of engineering created by humans, and yet thousands of them fly daily with so few incidents that flying is one of the safest modes of travel, second only to taking an elevator (and safer than walking, not to mention driving).
—Paul Eremenko, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
Despite their nickname, killer whales are not generally considered dangerous to humans.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
The return to registers staffed by humans at the Walmart store in Shrewsbury, a suburb of St. Louis, comes a month after Target announced only those buying 10 items or less could use the self-checkout lane at its stores, and Dollar General reduced self-checkout at thousands of its locations.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024
In their new paper, the researchers reported evidence for human occupation of the lava tube between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age—in other words, humans made use of the tube for millennia.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024
Faster and more automated cooking technology may well be imminent, but humans will still be involved for years to come.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024
The character reappears as a costumed human who scales down the walls of the building to pose for photos with parkgoers at ground level.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, the Xenomorphs are used to ripping apart flesh-and-blood humans, not living gods with indestructible skin and mythic weapons.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Apr. 2024
Elissa Strauss: Caregiving is an ongoing dependent relationship in which one human is dependent on another human, if not to thrive than at least to survive.
—Phyllis Fagell, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'human.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near human
Cite this Entry
“Human.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
human
1 of 2 adjective
hu·man
ˈhyü-mən 
ˈyü-
1
: relating to or characteristic of human beings
especially
: showing qualities typical of human beings
a human failing
2
: consisting of human beings
the human race
3
: having human form or characteristics
the dog's expression was almost human
Medical Definition
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of humans
the human body
human biochemistry
b
: primarily or usually harbored by, affecting, or attacking humans
human diseases
human parasites
2
: being or consisting of humans
the human race
3
: consisting of members of the genus Homo
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