hu´man|ness

hu|man «HYOO muhn», adjective, noun.

–adj.

1. of persons; that people have: »

Kindness is a human trait. No life that breathes with human breath Has ever truly longed for death (Tennyson).

2. being a person or persons; having the form or qualities of people: »

Those monkeys look almost human.

3. having or showing qualities (good and bad) natural to people: »

Their offer of help was a very human reaction. Yet do I fear your nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness (Shakespeare).

4. having to do with people; belonging to mankind: »

human affairs, human interest.

–n.

a human being; person; man: »

Unfortunately many people believe that the problems of national survival are too big for humans to handle (Saturday Evening Post).

╂[< Old French humain, learned borrowing from Latin hūmānus, related to homō, -inis man]

–hu´man|like´, adjective.

–hu´man|ness, noun.

Synonym Study adjective. 3 Human, humane mean having or showing qualities belonging to man. Human describes or suggests any quality, good or bad, belonging to man as apart from animals or God, but particularly suggests his feelings or faults: »

He is a very human person, warm and understanding, and not too perfect.

Humane chiefly suggests man's tender and compassionate feelings and actions toward people or animals that are helpless, troubled, or suffering: »

We believe in humane treatment of prisoners.