What does inhuman mean?
“Inhuman” describes conduct, treatment, or conditions that are so cruel, brutal, or devoid of ordinary human compassion that they seem to deny human dignity. In its most common use, it refers to actions against people, such as “inhuman treatment” or “inhuman punishment,” and is often stronger and more dramatic than simply saying that something is cruel. The word can also describe something that is not human in nature, or that appears strange, remote, or terrifyingly impersonal. Because it carries a powerful moral judgment, “inhuman” is especially effective in formal writing about violence, oppression, war, and extreme suffering. Its figurative uses can describe places, landscapes, or systems as cold, merciless, or beyond normal human understanding.
adjectiveCruel, brutal, or utterly lacking the compassion and humane qualities normally associated with human beings. It can also mean not human in nature or character.
- Cruel, brutal, or utterly lacking human compassion.
- Not human in nature, character, or quality.
"The refugees were subjected to inhuman treatment at the hands of the occupying forces."
"The account described the indiscriminate punishment and inhuman treatment of civilians."
"The landscape had an inhuman beauty, with sharp peaks and empty valleys stretching beneath a pale sky."
“Inhuman” is more than merely unkind: it suggests cruelty on a scale that seems to deny the humanity of the victim or the perpetrator.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inhuman come from?
“Inhuman” comes from the same Latin root as “human,” “humane,” and “humanity,” ultimately associated with Latin humanus, meaning humane or human-like. The English word developed by combining the negative prefix in- with human, literally suggesting “not human.” In modern usage, that literal sense has developed into the stronger figurative idea of cruelty that is profoundly contrary to human nature.
Related word forms
How inhuman is actually used
The word is strongly evaluative and commonly occurs in formal descriptions of cruelty, oppression, and extreme suffering. “Inhumane” is often preferred for an action or condition involving people, while “inhuman” has a broader figurative use and can suggest something that is cruel or unnaturally remote from ordinary human feeling.
Easily confused with inhuman
Both words describe extreme cruelty, although “inhumane” is more commonly used for actions or treatment and “inhuman” can also describe something lacking human warmth or sensibility.
“Humane” means compassionate and considerate of human suffering, while “inhuman” means cruel or fundamentally lacking human compassion.