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humane Definition

hu·mane (hyo̵̅o̅ mān′, yo̵̅o̅-)

adjective

  1. having what are considered the best qualities of human beings; kind, tender, merciful, sympathetic, etc.
  2. civilizing; humanizing humane learning

Etymology: earlier var. of human, now usually assoc. directly with L humanus

humane Related Forms

hu·mane′ly adverb hu·mane′·ness noun

humane Synonyms

humane

modif.

  1. Kindly

    benevolent, sympathetic, understanding, pitying, compassionate, kindhearted, human, tenderhearted, forgiving, gracious, charitable, benignant, gentle, tender, clement, benign, obliging, friendly, indulgent, generous, lenient, tolerant, democratic, accommodating, good-natured, liberal, humanitarian, righteous, open-minded, broad-minded, altruistic, philanthropic, helpful, magnanimous, amiable, genial, cordial, unselfish, warmhearted, large-hearted, big-hearted, beneficent, soft-hearted, sympathizing, freehearted, liberal, pitying, good, soft*, easy*; see also kind 1, merciful 1.

    Antonyms cruel*, barbaric*, inhuman. *

  2. Cultural

    civilized, advanced, cultured; see educated 1, refined 2.

humane Usage Examples

Preposition: as

method: Beheading is effective and is probably as humane as any other modern method if carried out correctly.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

make: Art makes people humane, forms a wholesome personality; moreover, art is able to correct psychological pathologies.

Modifies a noun

  • killing: All models end with humane killing by anesthetic overdose.
  • slaughter: As for humane slaughter, it's no better than saying " we have built a better gas chamber " .
  • traps: Poison or back breaker or humane traps can be purchased from DIY shops, hardware stores or garden centers.
  • stunner: In the late 1920s, the association carried out an eight month demonstration of the humane stunner at an Islington slaughterhouse.
  • euthanasia: At the time, Rhodes claimed ignorance about any laws concerning humane euthanasia of animals.
  • endpoints: Animals will be observed regularly during and after dosing and humane endpoints have been defined.

Modifying Another Word

  • deeply: A poetically realized and deeply humane vision of war, concerned primarily with the people and the places affected by hostilities taking place elsewhere.
  • truly: This is an obligation of a truly humane society toward all human beings.
  • relatively: It is a relatively humane method of catching a fox.
  • very: This is what Rita Verdonk calls a " very good, very humane " policy.
  • only: No, a bullet in the back of the head is the only humane thing to do.
  • not: But we must face the fact that the current solution is not humane and it is far from the best approach.

Infinitive complement

  • use: It is more humane to use software which minimizes the executions.
  • make: It is not humane to make desperate people prey to unscrupulous and illegal trafficking gangs.
  • allow: Then those supporting euthanasia would argue that it is more humane to allow people to choose to receive a lethal injection.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: In so doing, I hope that they help us all become more humane.
  • consider: The natural death of such a wild animal will occur by starvation, disease or injury, none of which can be considered humane.

Preposition: than

hunting: I can't understand how the League Against Cruel Sports and the RSPCA can say this is more humane than hunting.