# human

/ˈhjumən/ (US) · /hjˈuːmən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/human
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a person

noun · CEFR A2

a person, rather than an animal, a machine, or a god.

For teachers: an individual of the species Homo sapiens. Often used in contrast to animals, artificial intelligence, or supernatural beings.

- The study looks at how humans and dogs have lived together for thousands of years.
- The ethical implications of gene editing in humans remain a subject of intense debate among scientists and philosophers alike.

### 2. relating to people

adjective · CEFR A2

belonging to or describing people.

For teachers: of, relating to, or characteristic of people or humankind.

- The doctor said that making mistakes is just part of the human experience.
- The disaster was caused by a combination of mechanical failure and human error during the emergency procedure.

### 3. showing kindness

adjective · CEFR B2

showing the better qualities of people, like kindness or understanding.

For teachers: showing the better qualities of humankind, such as compassion, sympathy, or fallibility.

- The manager seemed much more human after he talked about his own struggles.
- By admitting his own past failures, the CEO appeared more human and relatable to the junior staff members.

### 4. the language of people

noun · CEFR C1 · Humorous

the language that people speak, often used when joking about animals or aliens.

For teachers: the language supposedly spoken by humans, typically used in a humorous or science-fiction context from a non-human perspective.

- My cat looks at me as if he understands human, but he just wants food.
- In the satirical novel, the alien visitor struggled to master 'human', finding our idioms and metaphors entirely illogical.

## Examples

- Every human needs food and water to survive.
- Scientists are studying how the virus spreads from animals to humans in crowded environments.
- The philosopher argued that the capacity for complex language is what truly distinguishes the human from other primates, regardless of shared genetic material.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.