Homo sapiens

noun

Ho·​mo sa·​pi·​ens ˌhō-(ˌ)mō-ˈsā-pē-ˌenz How to pronounce Homo sapiens (audio)
-ənz,
especially British
-ˈsa-pē-ənz How to pronounce Homo sapiens (audio)
Synonyms of Homo sapiensnext
: humankind

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of Homo sapiens in a Sentence

All people are members of Homo sapiens. how far into the outer reaches of the universe will Homo sapiens someday be able to go?

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, species name, from Homo, genus name + sapiens, specific epithet, from Latin, wise, intelligent — more at homo, sapient

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Homo sapiens was in 1802

Dictionary Entries Near Homo sapiens

homos

Homo sapiens

homoscedasticity

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Homo sapiens.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Homo%20sapiens. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

Homo sapiens

noun
Ho·​mo sa·​pi·​ens ˌhō-mō-ˈsap-ē-ənz How to pronounce Homo sapiens (audio)
-ˈsā-pē-ˌenz
: the human race
Etymology

scientific Latin, derived from homo "human being" and sapiens "wise, intelligent"

Medical Definition

Homo sapiens

noun
Ho·​mo sa·​pi·​ens ˌhō-(ˌ)mō-ˈsap-ē-ənz How to pronounce Homo sapiens (audio) -ˈsā-pē- How to pronounce Homo sapiens (audio)
-ˌenz
: mankind, humankind

More from Merriam-Webster on Homo sapiens

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Homo sapiens

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