inhuman

C2+ Topic:People & Society

US /ɪnˈhjumən/ UK /ɪnˈhjuːmən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
lacking human warmth or compassion; cruel and barbarous

The prisoners endured inhuman treatment for months.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lacking human warmth or... cruel brutal barbarous heartless merciless savage

Opposites

humane compassionate kind merciful

Word family

Forms inhumanly

Derived forms inhumanlyinhumanity

Related forms human inhumane humane humanity

Etymology

From Latin inhumanus ('inhuman, savage'), from in- ('not') + humanus ('human, humane'), from homo ('man, human being').

in- Latin humanus Latin homo Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# inhuman

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈhjumən/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈhjuːmən/

## Meanings
1. lacking human warmth or compassion; cruel and barbarous

## Examples
- The prisoners endured inhuman treatment for months.

## Synonyms
- cruel
- brutal
- barbarous
- heartless
- merciless
- savage

## Antonyms
- humane
- compassionate
- kind
- merciful

## Derived Forms
- inhumanly
- inhumanity

## Related Forms
- human
- inhumane
- humane
- humanity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: in-
- Root: humanus
- Root: homo

## Etymology
From Latin inhumanus ('inhuman, savage'), from in- ('not') + humanus ('human, humane'), from homo ('man, human being').

## AI Etymology
Inhuman comes from Latin inhumanus ('inhuman, savage'), from in- ('not') + humanus ('human, humane'), from homo ('man, human being'). The historical trail runs through Latin in-, Latin humanus and Latin homo. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means lacking human warmth or compassion; cruel and barbarous. Derived formations include inhumanly, inhumanity; related forms include human, inhumane, humane, humanity.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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