Library / English Dictionary

HUMANIST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A classical scholar or student of the liberal arts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("humanist" is a kind of...):

bookman; scholar; scholarly person; student (a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "humanist"):

classical scholar; classicist (a student of ancient Greek and Latin)

man of letters (a man devoted to literary or scholarly activities)

philologist; philologue (a humanist specializing in classical scholarship)

Instance hyponyms:

Desiderius Erasmus; Erasmus; Geert Geerts; Gerhard Gerhards (Dutch humanist and theologian who was the leading Renaissance scholar of northern Europe; although his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church led to the Reformation, he opposed violence and condemned Martin Luther (1466-1536))

Derivation:

humanism (the cultural movement of the Renaissance; based on classical studies)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An advocate of the principles of humanism; someone concerned with the interests and welfare of humans

Synonyms:

humanist; humanitarian

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("humanist" is a kind of...):

advocate; advocator; exponent; proponent (a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea)

Derivation:

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

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

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare

Example:

respect and humanistic regard for all members of our species

Synonyms:

human-centered; human-centred; humanist; humanistic; humanitarian

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

humane (marked or motivated by concern with the alleviation of suffering)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Pertaining to or concerned with the humanities

Example:

a humane education

Synonyms:

humane; humanist; humanistic

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

humanities (studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Of or pertaining to Renaissance humanism

Example:

the humanistic revival of learning

Synonyms:

humanist; humanistic

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

humanism (the cultural movement of the Renaissance; based on classical studies)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Of or pertaining to a philosophy asserting human dignity and man's capacity for fulfillment through reason and scientific method and often rejecting religion

Example:

the humanist belief in continuous emergent evolution

Synonyms:

humanist; humanistic

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

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

Credits