humane

adjective

hu·​mane hyü-ˈmān How to pronounce humane (audio)
yü-
1
: marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals
humane prison guards
a more humane way of treating farm animals
2
: characterized by or tending to broad humanistic culture : humanistic
humane studies
humanely adverb
humaneness noun

Examples of humane in a Sentence

It's not humane to treat animals that way. Conditions in the prison are more humane now.
Recent Examples on the Web Proponents of the bill say legislation is needed to position California as a leader in humane aquaculture. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024 In 1971, the university gave him an honorary doctor of humane letters. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2024 This not only helps foster a positive work environment but also sets a standard for humane interaction that clients are expected to follow. Jon Osterburg, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 Indeed, both Turkey and India have a history of mass culling dogs in cruel ways, prior to the passage of more humane animal welfare legislation like Turkey’s original Animal Protection Law and India’s Animal Birth Control Rules. Sam Delgado, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for humane 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'humane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English humain

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of humane was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near humane

Cite this Entry

“Humane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humane. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

humane

adjective
hu·​mane hyü-ˈmān How to pronounce humane (audio)
yü-
: marked by sympathy or consideration for others
humanely adverb
humaneness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on humane

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!