Standard Lemma guide

humanism

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈhjumənɪz(ə)m/
  • CMU ARPABET: HH Y UW1 M AH0 N IH2 Z AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The study of the humanities or the liberal arts; literary (especially classical) scholarship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Specifically, a cultural and intellectual movement in 14th-16th century Europe characterised by attention to classical culture and a promotion of vernacular texts, notably during the Renaissance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: capitalized, historical, often, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An ethical system that centers on humans and their values, needs, interests, abilities, dignity and freedom; especially used for a secular one which rejects theistic religion and superstition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Humanitarianism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: solidarity, philanthropy, generosity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: solidarity, philanthropy, generosity

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; rejects religion and the supernatural

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: secular humanism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, school of thought, ism

6

noun

Meaning 6

the doctrine that people's duty is to promote human welfare

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: humanitarianism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, school of thought, ism

7

noun

Meaning 7

the cultural movement of the Renaissance; based on classical studies

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cultural movement

History

Etymology

From human + -ism, borrowed from German Humanismus, coined by Friedrich Immanuel Niethammer in 1808.

Across languages

Translations

104 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: humanisme — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 人文主義 /人文主义 (rénwénzhǔyì) — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Czech: humanismus — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Czech: humanizmus — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Dutch: humanisme — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Finnish: humanismi — historical revival of Classical culture
  • French: humanisme — historical revival of Classical culture
  • German: Humanismus — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Greek: ουμανισμός (oumanismós) — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Japanese: 人文主義 (jinbunshugi) — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Kazakh: гуманизм (gumanizm) — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Kyrgyz: адамчылдык (adamcıldık) — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Polish: humanizm — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Portuguese: humanismo — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Romanian: umanism — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Russian: гумани́зм (gumanízm) — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Tagalog: palaturuangtao — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa nhân văn — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa nhân bản — historical revival of Classical culture
  • Albanian: humanizmi — ethical system
  • Arabic: إِنْسَانِيَّة (ʔinsāniyya) — ethical system
  • Aragonese: umanismo — ethical system
  • Armenian: հումանիզմ (humanizm) — ethical system
  • Bulgarian: хумани́зъм (humanízǎm) — ethical system
  • Catalan: humanisme — ethical system
  • Chinese Mandarin: 人文主義 /人文主义 (rénwénzhǔyì) — ethical system
  • Czech: humanismus — ethical system
  • Czech: humanizmus — ethical system
  • Danish: humanisme — ethical system
  • Dutch: humanisme — ethical system
  • Esperanto: homismo — ethical system
  • Estonian: humanism — ethical system
  • Finnish: humanismi — ethical system
  • French: humanisme — ethical system
  • Friulian: umanisim — ethical system
  • Galician: humanismo — ethical system
  • Georgian: ჰუმანიზმი (humanizmi) — ethical system
  • German: Humanismus — ethical system
  • German: humanismus — ethical system
  • Greek: ανθρωπισμός (anthropismós) — ethical system
  • Hebrew: הומניזם — ethical system
  • Hindi: मानववाद (mānavvād) — ethical system
  • Hungarian: humanizmus — ethical system
  • Icelandic: húmanismi — ethical system
  • Indonesian: humanisme — ethical system
  • Interlingua: humanismo — ethical system
  • Italian: umanesimo — ethical system
  • Japanese: ヒューマニズム (hyūmanizumu) — ethical system
  • Japanese: 人文主義 (jinbunshugi) — ethical system
  • Javanese: humanisme — ethical system
  • Kazakh: адамгершілік (adamgerşılık) — ethical system
  • Korean: 인문주의 (inmunjuui) — ethical system
  • Kyrgyz: адамчылдык (adamcıldık) — ethical system
  • Latin: humanismus — ethical system
  • Latvian: humānisms — ethical system
  • Lithuanian: humanizmas — ethical system
  • Macedonian: хуманизам (humanizam) — ethical system
  • Malayalam: മാനവതാവാദം (mānavatāvādaṁ) — ethical system
  • Norwegian Bokmål: humanisme — ethical system
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: humanisme — ethical system
  • Occitan: umanisme — ethical system
  • Persian: اومانیسم — ethical system
  • Polish: humanizm — ethical system
  • Portuguese: humanismo — ethical system
  • Romanian: umanism — ethical system
  • Russian: гумани́зм (gumanízm) — ethical system
  • Scots: humanism — ethical system
  • Scottish Gaelic: daonnaireachd — ethical system
  • Serbo-Croatian: хуманизам — ethical system
  • Serbo-Croatian: humanizam — ethical system
  • Slovak: humanizmus — ethical system
  • Slovene: humanizem — ethical system
  • Spanish: humanismo — ethical system
  • Swedish: humanism — ethical system
  • Tagalog: palaturuangtao — ethical system
  • Tamil: மனிதநேயம் (maṉitanēyam) — ethical system
  • Thai: ลัทธิมนุษยนิยม (lát-tí má-nút-ní-yom) — ethical system
  • Thai: มนุษยนิยม — ethical system
  • Turkish: hümanizm — ethical system
  • Ukrainian: гумані́зм (humanízm) — ethical system
  • Uzbek: gumanizm — ethical system
  • Vietnamese: nhân văn chủ nghỉa — ethical system
  • Welsh: dyneiddiaeth — ethical system
  • Belarusian: гумані́зм (humanízm) — humanitarianism
  • Bulgarian: хумани́зъм (humanízǎm) — humanitarianism
  • Chinese Mandarin: 人道主義 /人道主义 (réndàozhǔyì) — humanitarianism
  • Dutch: menslievendheid — humanitarianism
  • Finnish: humanismi — humanitarianism
  • Finnish: humanitarismi — humanitarianism
  • French: humanisme — humanitarianism
  • German: Humanität — humanitarianism
  • German: Menschlichkeit — humanitarianism
  • Hindi: मानववाद (mānavvād) — humanitarianism
  • Hungarian: humanizmus — humanitarianism
  • Japanese: 人道主義 (jindōshugi) — humanitarianism
  • Kazakh: адамгершілік (adamgerşılık) — humanitarianism
  • Korean: 인도주의 (indojuui) — humanitarianism
  • Kyrgyz: адамгерчилик (adamgercilik) — humanitarianism
  • Polish: humanizm — humanitarianism
  • Portuguese: humanitarismo — humanitarianism
  • Russian: гумани́зм (gumanízm) — humanitarianism
  • Scottish Gaelic: daonnaireachd — humanitarianism
  • Ukrainian: гумані́зм (humanízm) — humanitarianism
  • Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa nhân đạo — humanitarianism