human
HighNeutral
Definition
Meaning
A member of the species Homo sapiens, characterized by advanced mental development, language, and culture.
Pertaining to or characteristic of people, often emphasizing qualities like empathy, fallibility, or the human condition.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Functions as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it refers to individuals or collectively to mankind. As an adjective, it describes attributes related to people.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; both varieties use 'human' similarly.
Connotations
Generally neutral, but in contexts like 'human error', it may imply fallibility.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both British and American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
as subject: Humans are social animals.as object: Technology affects humans.with modifier: human of average intelligenceVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To err is human”
- “Human touch”
- “Only human”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to personnel aspects, e.g., human resources, human capital management.
Academic
Used in disciplines like anthropology and psychology to discuss human evolution or behavior.
Everyday
Common in general conversation, e.g., human needs, human relationships.
Technical
In fields like medicine, e.g., human anatomy, human genetics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The human labour force is essential.
- She has a very human approach.
American English
- Human labor is a key factor.
- It's only human to make mistakes.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Humans live in many countries.
- He is a human.
- Human beings need sleep to function well.
- The book explores human emotions.
- Human error was responsible for the system failure.
- Advances in AI challenge our understanding of human intelligence.
- The philosophical discourse on human autonomy is complex.
- Human rights legislation varies across jurisdictions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Associate 'human' with 'humus' (Latin for earth), as humans are from the earth.
Conceptual Metaphor
Human as machine in productivity contexts; human as animal in evolutionary biology.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Direct translation to 'человек' is correct for the noun, but for adjectives, note phrases like 'human rights' translates to 'права человека', not 'человеческие права'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'human' with 'humane', which means compassionate. Using 'human' as a verb is non-standard.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a synonym for 'human'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Human' can be both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it refers to a person. As an adjective, it describes something related to people.
'Human' refers to people or their characteristics, while 'humane' means compassionate or benevolent, often in the context of treatment.
In standard English, 'human' is not commonly used as a verb. The verb form is usually 'humanize'.
In American English, 'human' is typically pronounced as /ˈhjuːmən/, though in some accents, the /h/ may be dropped, resulting in /ˈjuːmən/.
Collections
Part of a collection
Global Issues
B2 · 47 words · Vocabulary for discussing world problems and politics.