humane

adjective

hyü-ˈmān How to pronounce humane (audio)
Definition of humanenext
1
as in compassionate
having or marked by sympathy and consideration for others humane guards who treated the prisoners decently the Geneva conventions spelled out standards for the humane treatment of prisoners of war

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sympathetic
having or showing the capacity for sharing the feelings of another the movie's humane depiction of people who are physically and mentally challenged

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of humane The humane society is in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem. — Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2025 Did those societies became more humane or more resilient? — Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025 The humane society is in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem. — Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 14 Mar. 2025 Colorado's law protecting young people from unscientific and cruel gay conversion therapy practices is humane, smart and appropriate. — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for humane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humane
  1. compassionate
  2. sympathetic
  3. benevolent
  4. kind
Adjective
  • Also there is having to balance being compassionate and caring while also remembering that this is a business.
    — J.M. Banks, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
  • But White and Jonas haven’t built an anxious or a particularly compassionate Jamie.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • And this is clearly a policy that pisses off a lot of the business community, which Trump has been very sympathetic to, and which has rewarded him with a lot of support, especially the second time around.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025
  • It’s also been suggested that extremist can use AI to work out who is susceptible to radicalization in the first place by predicting who is likely to be sympathetic to their ideology.
    — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of sympathetic
Adjective
  • Maybe the Giants were just being benevolent by giving Wilson the majority of his payment sooner.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Game theory helps to explain why the world was so stable during the period of globalisation – the international landscape was dominated by a large, predictable and mostly benevolent ‘actor’ (USA) in the context of a host of other less powerful actors.
    — Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Definition of benevolent
Adjective
  • The long gap between seasons has not been kind to the show, which returned way down in the ratings this past fall.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Holly Marie Combs has nothing but kind words for the young Pretty Little Liars cast — and a couple of digs at her twentysomething self.
    — Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of kind

Browse Nearby Words

human beings
humane
humanely
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Cite this Entry

“Humane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humane. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

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