HUMANIST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does humanist mean? 

• HUMANIST (noun)
  The noun HUMANIST has 2 senses:

1. a classical scholar or student of the liberal arts

2. an advocate of the principles of humanism; someone concerned with the interests and welfare of humans

  Familiarity information: HUMANIST used as a noun is rare.

• HUMANIST (adjective)
  The adjective HUMANIST has 4 senses:

1. of or pertaining to Renaissance humanism

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

3. pertaining to or concerned with the humanities

4. marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare

  Familiarity information: HUMANIST used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HUMANIST (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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

humanist; humanitarian

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)

• HUMANIST (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or pertaining to Renaissance humanism

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

humanist; humanistic

Context example:

the humanistic revival of learning

Pertainym:

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

Sense 2

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

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

humanist; humanistic

Context example:

the humanist belief in continuous emergent evolution

Pertainym:

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Pertaining to or concerned with the humanities

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

humane; humanist; humanistic

Context example:

a humane education

Pertainym:

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

Sense 4

Meaning:

Marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

respect and humanistic regard for all members of our species

Similar:

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