humanness

[ hyoo-muhn-nis, yoo- ]

noun

1. the quality or condition of being human or characteristic of humans:

   Loss of intellect, as when a person is severely brain-damaged, does not mean loss of humanness.

   It’s an essay on the humanness of language—how it serves as a hallmark distinguishing humankind from other animals.

2. human limitation, weakness, or imperfection:

   Employers need to embrace the humanness of their workforce, with all its flaws, frailty, and emotional vulnerability.

   In a fitness class, the sheer humanness of feeling awkward and sweating together relaxes relationships.

3. sympathetic, relatable, or humane quality:

   The memoir was refreshing in its honesty, vulnerability, and humanness.

   Greed can drive people beyond their humanness into great cruelty and inhumanity.

Other Words From

• un·hu·man·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of humanness¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; human ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

"He has a deep love for people. He listens. He looks people in the eye. Sandy's humanness is my dad's humanness. I feel immensely lucky to be his son," he says.

From Salon

“You feel their humanness, because what’s more human than feeling that you don’t belong?”

From Seattle Times

“Talk out loud, identify yourself, and allow those predators to kind of absorb the whole scene and all the humanness and help them realize this is not one of my usual prey items,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The absurdity of Monk’s dual life is tied to the ordinary humanness of his family life, because it is to some degree born of the necessity of the responsibilities to family.

From Los Angeles Times

It's a way of refusing our humanness, and with it our animal nature.

From Salon

Related Words

• humankind
• mankind
• society