Standard Lemma guide

humanize

verb · 6 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, US: /ˈhjuː.mə.naɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • UK, US: /hjuːˈmeɪn.aɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH Y UW1 M AH0 N AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To make human; to give or cause to have the fundamental properties of a human.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make sympathetic or relatable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To convert into something human or belonging to humans.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • to humanize vaccine lymph
  • humanized monoclonal antibodies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To make humane.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To become humane or civilized.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

make more humane

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The mayor tried to humanize life in the big city

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: humanise

Antonyms: dehumanize

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin hūmānus Old French umain Middle French humainbor. Middle English humayne English human Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English humanize From human + -ize.

Etymology tree English humane Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English humanize From humane + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: njerizoj — to make human
  • Bulgarian: очовечавам (očovečavam) — to make human
  • Bulgarian: цивилизовам (civilizovam) — to make human
  • Catalan: humanitzar — to make human
  • Czech: humanizovat — to make human
  • Danish: humanisere — to make human
  • Danish: menneskeliggøre — to make human
  • Estonian: inimlikustama — to make human
  • Finnish: inhimillistää — to make human
  • Finnish: humaanistaa — to make human
  • Finnish: inhimillistyä — to make human
  • Finnish: humaanistua — to make human
  • French: humaniser — to make human
  • Galician: humanizar — to make human
  • German: humanisieren — to make human
  • Indonesian: manusiakan — to make human
  • Italian: umanizzare — to make human
  • Polish: uczłowieczyć — to make human
  • Polish: uczłowieczać — to make human
  • Portuguese: humanizar — to make human
  • Russian: очеловечить (očelovečitʹ) — to make human
  • Spanish: humanizar — to make human
  • Turkish: insanlaşmak — to make human
  • Ukrainian: олюднити (oljudnyty) — to make human