humane - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle English humain, humayne, from Old French humain, umain, from Latin hūmānus, from Latin homō (“man”). Cognate with Old English guma (“man”), whence the groom in English bridegroom.

humane (comparative humaner or more humane, superlative humanest or most humane)

  1. Having or showing concern for the pain or suffering of another; compassionate.
    It is no longer considered humane to perform vivisection on research animals.
    As methods of execution go, beheading is more humane than drawing and quartering.
    • 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
      The unfortunate thing about Bando, said Arthur, is that it is no longer to be obtained in this unfortunate country. I understand that inferior products, such as Ostreine and Spanish Flies, may still be wheedled out of some of the humaner chemists, up and down the city, in the ten minutes or a quarter of an hour immediately following their midday meal.
  2. Pertaining to branches of learning concerned with human affairs or the humanities, especially classical literature or rhetoric.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 7:
      many divine precepts to counterpoise our hearts, special antidotes both in scriptures and humane authors, which who so will observe, shall purchase much ease and quietness unto himself.
  3. Obsolete spelling of human.
    • 1660, [Richard Allestree], “Sect[ion] V. Of the Second Advantage, Wealth.”, in The Gentlemans Calling, London: […] T[imothy] Garthwait […], →OCLC, page 83:
      [N]o attempt is made to call in God to their reſcue, as if he vvere an idle unconcern'd ſpectator of humane affairs, or ſo inconſiderable an ally, as not to be vvorth the care of engaging him on their ſide.

with regard for the health and well-being of another — see also humanitarian

humane

  1. definite singular of human
  2. plural of human

humane

  1. humanely

humane

  1. inflection of human:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

From hūmānus (“humane, noble”).

hūmānē (comparative hūmānius, superlative hūmānissimē)

  1. humanly, in a human manner.
  2. humanely, kindly, politely; in a humane manner.

humane

  1. definite singular of human
  2. plural of human

humane

  1. definite singular of human
  2. plural of human

humane

  1. inflection of humanar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Inherited from Middle English humain, humayne, humaigne from Old French humain, umain, from Latin hūmānus, from Latin homō (“man”).

humane (comparative mair humane, superlative maist humane)

  1. of humans; having the good qualities of mankind
  2. humanly, pertaining or natural to mankind

“humane”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.

humane

  1. inflection of humanar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

humane

  1. definite natural masculine singular of human