human
n. · adj.-
1 a person (n.) A2 Elementary Sciencea person, rather than an animal, a machine, or a god.
an individual of the species Homo sapiens. Often used in contrast to animals, artificial intelligence, or supernatural beings.
ExampleThe study looks at how humans and dogs have lived together for thousands of years.
ExampleThe ethical implications of gene editing in humans remain a subject of intense debate among scientists and philosophers alike.
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2 relating to people (adj.) A2 Elementarybelonging to or describing people.
of, relating to, or characteristic of people or humankind.
ExampleThe doctor said that making mistakes is just part of the human experience.
ExampleThe disaster was caused by a combination of mechanical failure and human error during the emergency procedure.
- mortal
- hominid
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3 showing kindness (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediateshowing the better qualities of people, like kindness or understanding.
showing the better qualities of humankind, such as compassion, sympathy, or fallibility.
ExampleThe manager seemed much more human after he talked about his own struggles.
ExampleBy admitting his own past failures, the CEO appeared more human and relatable to the junior staff members.
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4 the language of people (n.) C1 Advanced Humorousthe language that people speak, often used when joking about animals or aliens.
the language supposedly spoken by humans, typically used in a humorous or science-fiction context from a non-human perspective.
ExampleMy cat looks at me as if he understands human, but he just wants food.
ExampleIn the satirical novel, the alien visitor struggled to master 'human', finding our idioms and metaphors entirely illogical.
Etymology tree Latin hūmānus Old French umain Middle French humainbor. Middle English humayne English human From Late Middle English humaigne, humayne, humain, from Middle French humain, from Old French humain, umain (“of or belonging to man”, adjective), from Latin hūmānus m (“of man, human”, adjective); see there for further details. Spelling human has been predominant since the early 18th century. Compare, and possibly related to man.