Word
inhumane
Phoneticsin·hu·mane, stress on the third syllable
US/ˌɪnhjuˈmeɪn/
UK/ɪnhjuːmˈeɪn/
Definition
adj. extremely cruel or causing a lot of suffering. It describes treatment that is so bad it does not seem like it belongs to a kind human world.
adj. lacking humanity, kindness, or compassion; causing unnecessary suffering. Often used to describe conditions or treatment that violate basic human rights.
Examples
“The prisoners were kept in inhumane conditions.”
“International observers condemned the inhumane treatment of refugees at the border camps.”
“The report highlighted the inhumane practices within the factory, where employees were forced to work eighteen-hour shifts without adequate breaks or ventilation.”
Examples
simple
“The prisoners were kept in inhumane conditions.”
contextual
“International observers condemned the inhumane treatment of refugees at the border camps.”
complex
“The report highlighted the inhumane practices within the factory, where employees were forced to work eighteen-hour shifts without adequate breaks or ventilation.”
Usage
Often used predicatively after 'be' or 'seem', or attributively before nouns like 'conditions', 'treatment', or 'punishment'.
Pitfall
unhumane
inhumane
While 'un-' is a common prefix for adjectives, 'inhumane' uses the Latin-derived 'in-' prefix.
Real-World Examples
“Salih – a former Kurdish politician and President of Iraq – told the Security Council that the situation for refugees today was “genuinely, truly, inhumane”.” “Trump once joked that immigrants held there would need to learn "how to run away" from the reptiles at the facility, which civil rights groups have decried as inhumane.” “The crumbling infrastructure of the 170-year-old building meant living conditions remained "inhumane and unacceptable", with the majority of prisoners sharing cramped cells originally built for one.” “Lucchetti points to another ongoing case involving a group of workers in Prato, Tuscany, employed in the Montblanc supply chain who say they lost their jobs after raising complaints against inhumane working conditions.” Etymology
Originally a variant spelling and pronunciation of inhuman, ultimately from Latin inhūmānus; it appears to have died out 17c. but returned c. 1822, probably a reformation as a negative of humane from in- + humane.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/inhumane