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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

hu·man

Audio Help [hyoo-muh

n or, often, yoo‑] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or having the nature of people: human frailty.

2.	consisting of people: the human race.

3.	of or pertaining to the social aspect of people: human affairs.

4.	sympathetic; humane: a warmly human understanding.

–noun

5.	a human being.

[Origin: 1350–1400; earlier humain(e), humayn(e), ME < MF humain < L hūmānus, akin to homō human being (cf. Homo); sp. human predominant from early 18th cent.

]

—Related forms

hu·man·like, adjective

hu·man·ness, noun

—Synonyms 1. Human, humane may refer to that which is, or should be, characteristic of human beings. In thus describing characteristics, human may refer to good and bad traits of a person alike (human kindness; human weakness). When emphasis is placed upon the latter, human is thought of as contrasted to divine: To err is human, to forgive divine. He was only human. Humane (the original spelling of human, and since 1700 restricted in meaning) takes into account only the nobler or gentler aspects of people and is often contrasted to their more ignoble or brutish aspect. A humane person is benevolent in treating fellow humans or helpless animals; the word once had also connotations of courtesy and refinement (hence, the application of humane to those branches of learning intended to refine the mind).

—Pronunciation note Pronunciations of words like human, huge, etc., with the initial [h] Pronunciation Key deleted:

Audio Help [yoo-muh

n],

Audio Help [yooj], while sometimes criticized, are heard from speakers at all social and educational levels, including professors, lawyers, and other public speakers.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Human

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

hu·man Audio Help (hyōō'mən) Pronunciation Key
n.

A member of the genus Homo and especially of the species H. sapiens.
A person: the extraordinary humans who explored Antarctica.

adj.

Of, relating to, or characteristic of humans: the course of human events; the human race.
Having or showing those positive aspects of nature and character regarded as distinguishing humans from other animals: an act of human kindness.
Subject to or indicative of the weaknesses, imperfections, and fragility associated with humans: a mistake that shows he's only human; human frailty.
Having the form of a human.
Made up of humans: formed a human bridge across the ice.

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

hu'man·hood' n., hu'man·ness n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
human

c.1250, from M.Fr. humain "of or belonging to man," from L. humanus, probably related to homo (gen. hominis) "man," and to humus "earth," on notion of "earthly beings," as opposed to the gods (cf. Heb. adam "man," from adamah "ground"). Cognate with O.Lith. zmuo (acc. zmuni) "man, male person." Displaced its O.E. cognate guma (from P.Gmc. *guman-) which survives only in disguise in bridegroom. First record of humankind is from 1645. Humanoid (1918) is a hybrid of L. humanus and Gk. -oeides "like," from eidos "form, shape" (see -oid).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

human
adjective
1.	characteristic of humanity; "human nature"
2.	relating to a person; "the experiment was conducted on 6 monkeys and 2 human subjects"
3.	having human form or attributes as opposed to those of animals or divine beings; "human beings"; "the human body"; "human kindness"; "human frailty" [ant: nonhuman]
noun
1.	any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage [syn: homo]

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

human

see milk of human kindness.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
human [ˈhjuːmən] adjective

of, natural to, concerning, or belonging to, mankind
Example: human nature; The dog was so clever that he seemed almost human.

Arabic:	إنْساني
Chinese (Simplified):	人的
Chinese (Traditional):	人的
Czech:	lidský
Danish:	menneskelig
Dutch:	menselijk
Estonian:	inimlik, inim-
Finnish:	ihmis-, inhimillinen
French:	humain
German:	menschlich
Greek:	ανθρώπινος
Hungarian:	emberi
Icelandic:	mannlegur
Indonesian:	manusia
Italian:	umano

Japanese:	人間の
Korean:	사람의
Latvian:	cilvēka-; cilvēcisks
Lithuanian:	žmogaus, žmogiškas
Norwegian:	menneskelig, menneske-
Polish:	ludzki, człowieczy
Portuguese (Brazil):	humano
Portuguese (Portugal):	humano
Romanian:	uman
Russian:	человеческий
Slovak:	ľudský
Slovenian:	človeški
Spanish:	humano
Swedish:	mänsklig, människo-
Turkish:	insana ait, *özgü

human [ˈhjuːmən] noun

a person
Example: Humans are not as different from animals as we might think.

Arabic:	إنسان
Chinese (Simplified):	人
Chinese (Traditional):	人
Czech:	člověk
Danish:	menneske
Dutch:	mens
Estonian:	inimene
Finnish:	ihminen
French:	(être) humain
German:	der Mensch
Greek:	άνθρωπος
Hungarian:	ember
Icelandic:	maður, manneskja
Indonesian:	orang
Italian:	umano, essere umano*

Japanese:	人間
Korean:	사람
Latvian:	cilvēks; cilvēciska būtne
Lithuanian:	žmogaus
Norwegian:	menneske
Polish:	człowiek
Portuguese (Brazil):	ser humano
Portuguese (Portugal):	humano
Romanian:	fiinţă umană
Russian:	человеческое существо
Slovak:	človek
Slovenian:	človek
Spanish:	ser humano
Swedish:	människa
Turkish:	insan

See also: humanly, human being, human resources

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

human Audio Help (hy

'mən) Pronunciation Key

A member of the species Homo sapiens; a human being.
A member of any of the extinct species of the genus Homo, such as Homo erectus or Homo habilis, that are considered ancestral or closely related to modern humans.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Human

Hom"age\, n. [OF. homage, homenage, F. hommage, LL. hominaticum, homenaticum, from L. homo a man, LL. also, a client, servant, vassal; akin to L. humus earth, Gr.? on the ground, and E. groom in bridegroom. Cf. Bridegroom, Human.]

1. (Feud. Law) A symbolical acknowledgment made by a feudal tenant to, and in the presence of, his lord, on receiving investiture of fee, or coming to it by succession, that he was his man, or vassal; profession of fealty to a sovereign.

2. Respect or reverential regard; deference; especially, respect paid by external action; obeisance.

All things in heaven and earth do her [Law] homage. --Hooker.

I sought no homage from the race that write. --Pope.

3. Reverence directed to the Supreme Being; reverential worship; devout affection. --Chaucer.

Syn: Fealty; submission; reverence; honor; respect.

Usage: Homage, Fealty. Homage was originally the act of a feudal tenant by which he declared himself, on his knees, to be the hommage or bondman of the lord; hence the term is used to denote reverential submission or respect. Fealty was originally the fidelity of such a tenant to his lord, and hence the term denotes a faithful and solemn adherence to the obligations we owe to superior power or authority. We pay our homage to men of pre["e]minent usefulness and virtue, and profess our fealty to the principles by which they have been guided.

Go, go with homage yon proud victors meet ! Go, lie like dogs beneath your masters' feet ! --Dryden.

Man, disobeying, Disloyal, breaks his fealty, and sins Against the high supremacy of heaven. --Milton.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Human

Hu"man\, a. [L. humanus; akin to homo man: cf. F. humain. See Homage, and cf. Humane, Omber.] Belonging to man or mankind; having the qualities or attributes of a man; of or pertaining to man or to the race of man; as, a human voice; human shape; human nature; human sacrifices.

To err is human; to forgive, divine. --Pope.

Acronym Finder - Cite This Source - Share This

HUMAN

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