nonhuman

See also: non-human

English

Alternative forms

• non-human

Etymology

From non- +‎ human.

Adjective

nonhuman (not comparable)

1. Not human; not of the human race.

   Synonym: ahuman

   nonhuman animals

   nonhuman agents

   • 2020, Michael T. Wilson, “Minecraft Fiction”, in Anne H. Stevens, Molly C. O’Donnell, editors, The Microgenre: A Quick Look at Small Culture, Bloomsbury Academic, →ISBN:

     Much, perhaps most, Minecraft fiction follows the robinsonade template, emphasizing the day-to-day life of a character, including nonhuman characters, striving to survive and thrive in a recognizably Minecraftian world by utilizing its resources.

Usage notes

• The adjectives nonhuman, inhuman, and unhuman have connotative and denotative differences. The word nonhuman is usually a neutrally toned adjective referring to any animals or other life forms that are not humans. The word inhuman is usually an emotionally charged word conveying an idea of inhumaneness, cruelty, emotional coldness, or uncanniness. The word unhuman is less common and usually means the same as inhuman.

Noun

nonhuman (plural nonhumans)

1. A creature or thing that is not human.
   • 2002, Keith McMahon, The Fall of the God of Money, page 190:

     The dialectical obverse of this use of opium is the fear that opium will turn humans into nonhumans or antihumans.