humane

[hyoo-meyn, yoo-] / hyuˈmeɪn, yu- /

ADJECTIVE

kind, compassionate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

approachable benevolent considerate cordial democratic forgiving friendly generous gentle gracious humanitarian merciful open-minded sympathetic tolerant unselfish

WEAK

accommodating altruistic amiable benign benignant broad-minded charitable clement forbearing genial good good-natured helpful human indulgent kindhearted kindly lenient liberal magnanimous mild natural obliging philanthropic pitying righteous tender tenderhearted understanding warmhearted

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aloof cold cool disagreeable greedy mean merciless selfish unfeeling unfriendly ungiving unkind unsociable

WEAK

cruel fierce inhumane uncivilized uncompassionate unsympathetic violent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said notes were kept of bathroom breaks, so year heads could look and see "patterns of toilet behaviour", but overall Banks said it was a "humane approach".

From BBC • May 16, 2026

He even came across more humane jailers who said they were "sorry" about what was happening and that one day "Russia will apologise".

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

“English” insists on viewing its Iranian characters through a humane, rather than geopolitical, lens.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

It made our technological world accessible, inclusive, and humane.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

She was absorbed and moved by the man she met in those pages, an inquiring and intelligent man, a kind man, a man so utterly, helplessly, winningly humane.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Vocabulary lists containing humane

100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"The Bet" by Anton Chekhov

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The Stranger

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!