humanist
gb/hjˈumənɪst/ us/hjˈumənɪst/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
role
1
person who follows humanism
A humanist believes people should use reason and care about human well-being, often without religion.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a humanist
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse humanist with humanitarian (a person who helps people in need), though they can overlap.
Synonyms
secularist (Focuses on separating religion from public life; a humanist is defined more by values and philosophy.)
|
freethinker (Emphasizes independent thought, often about religion; humanist emphasizes human-centered ethics.)
|
rationalist (Highlights reason as a guide; humanist often includes broader ethical and social commitments.)
Antonyms
theist (Centers belief in a god or gods; humanism is often nonreligious (though some religious humanists exist).)
|
religious fundamentalist (Typically prioritizes strict religious authority over human-centered or secular ethics.)
Collocations
secular humanist
|humanist beliefs
|humanist ethics
|humanist philosophy
|humanist worldview
|humanist principles
|humanist organization
|Humanist Association
|humanist ceremony
|humanist perspective
Themes
philosophy
|beliefs
|society
|ethics
Examples
- She’s a humanist who believes ethics should be based on human needs and evidence.
- As a humanist, he supports policies that protect human rights and dignity.
- They chose a humanist officiant for the ceremony because they wanted something nonreligious.
Learner examples
- He is a humanist and does not follow a religion.
- She calls herself a humanist because she values kindness and reason.
Noun
formal
C1
role
2
scholar in humanities
A humanist is a person who studies subjects like history, literature, and languages.
Usage pattern:
a humanist (at [institution])
Common mistake:
In universities, humanist can mean a humanities scholar; it does not always mean a person with secular beliefs.
Synonyms
humanities scholar (More explicit and common phrasing in modern academic English.)
|
academic (Broader term; a humanist is specifically in the humanities.)
Antonyms
scientist (In academic contrasts, scientists are grouped with STEM fields rather than the humanities.)
|
engineer (Often contrasted with humanities fields in education and funding contexts.)
Collocations
academic humanist
|university humanist
|trained as a humanist
|humanist scholar
|humanists and scientists
|a panel of humanists
|humanist research
|humanist methods
|humanist disciplines
|humanists in the academy
Themes
education
|academia
|culture
Examples
- The project pairs humanists with computer scientists to analyze old manuscripts.
- As a humanist, she’s interested in how stories shape political identity.
- The conference highlighted new funding challenges facing humanists.
Learner examples
- My uncle is a humanist who teaches history at a university.
Noun
formal
C2
role
3
Renaissance classical scholar
In history, a humanist was a Renaissance scholar who studied ancient Greek and Latin texts.
Usage pattern:
a humanist of the Renaissance
Common mistake:
This historical meaning is different from the modern belief-based meaning of humanist.
Synonyms
Renaissance scholar (Broader; may include artists and scientists as well as humanists.)
|
classicist (Focuses on Greek and Latin studies; not limited to the Renaissance.)
Antonyms
scholastic (Refers to medieval school philosophy often contrasted with Renaissance humanism.)
Collocations
Renaissance humanist
|Italian humanist
|early humanist
|humanist scholar
|humanist education
|humanist curriculum
|humanist circles
|humanist ideals
|humanist texts
|classical learning
Themes
history
|education
|literature
Examples
- Erasmus is often described as a leading humanist of the Northern Renaissance.
- The humanists of fifteenth-century Italy helped revive interest in classical rhetoric.
- Many humanists translated Greek texts that had been little known in Western Europe.
Learner examples
- In the Renaissance, many humanists studied Latin and Greek.
adjective
formal
C1
property
4
human-centered; relating to humanism
Humanist means focused on people and human values, often based on reason.
Usage pattern:
a humanist [approach/view/ethic]
Common mistake:
Learners often use humanistic instead; both are common, but humanist is especially used in set phrases like 'humanist approach'.
Synonyms
humanistic (Very close in meaning; often the more common adjective form in general writing.)
|
human-centered (More explicit about focusing on people's needs and experiences.)
Antonyms
theocentric (Centered on God or religion rather than human agency and values.)
Collocations
humanist approach
|humanist values
|humanist tradition
|humanist psychology
|humanist education
|humanist ethics
|humanist principles
|humanist philosophy
|humanist critique
|humanist perspective
Themes
philosophy
|education
|psychology
|society
Examples
- The program promotes a humanist approach to education that values curiosity and critical thinking.
- Her argument is rooted in humanist ethics rather than religious authority.
- The therapist described the treatment as humanist, focusing on the client’s goals and strengths.
Learner examples
- Our teacher uses a humanist approach in class.
Grammar
Dictionary form
humanist
IPA
GB/hjˈumənɪst/
US/hjˈumənɪst/
Syllables & stress
hu - man - ist (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hu)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: humanist
Noun
- Base: humanist
- Plural: humanists
Word family
Forms
humanists
noun
Core family
humanism
noun
humanistic
adjective
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
humanistically
adverb
dehumanization
noun
humanely
adverb
Expressions
christian humanist
1/kɹˈɪst͡ʃən hjˈumənɪst/
fixed phrase
formal
humanist with Christian beliefs
A Christian humanist is a Christian who also supports humanist ideas about human dignity and ethics.
Examples
- Some scholars describe Erasmus as a Christian humanist because he joined classical learning with Christian reform.
- She writes from a Christian humanist perspective, stressing dignity and compassion.
- The debate contrasted secular humanist and Christian humanist arguments.
humanist approach
1/hjˈumənɪst əpɹˈoʊt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
people-centered way of doing things
A humanist approach focuses on people and their needs.
Examples
- The manager took a humanist approach to performance reviews, focusing on growth rather than punishment.
- In healthcare, a humanist approach can mean listening carefully to patients’ goals and concerns.
- The course encourages a humanist approach to technology design.
humanist education
1/hjˈumənɪst ˌɛd͡ʒəkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
education focused on the whole person
Humanist education tries to help students grow as whole people, not only learn facts.
Examples
- The school’s mission statement emphasizes humanist education and student-led inquiry.
- Supporters of humanist education argue that grades shouldn’t be the only measure of success.
- The workshop introduced practical methods inspired by humanist education.
humanist psychology
1/hjˈumənɪst saɪkˈɑləd͡ʒi/
fixed phrase
technical
psychology focused on growth
Humanist psychology is a type of psychology that focuses on personal growth and well-being.
Examples
- The class covered humanist psychology alongside behaviorism and psychoanalysis.
- Humanist psychology highlights empathy and the client’s own goals in therapy.
- Critics argue that humanist psychology can be hard to test with experiments.
humanist values
1/hjˈumənɪst vˈæljuz/
fixed phrase
values focused on human dignity
Humanist values are beliefs about treating people with dignity and fairness.
Examples
- The organization’s charter is based on humanist values like equality and compassion.
- She argues that humanist values should guide public policy.
- Their campaign appealed to humanist values and universal human rights.
secular humanist
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ hjˈumənɪst/
fixed phrase
nonreligious humanist
A secular humanist is a humanist who is not religious.
Examples
- He identifies as a secular humanist and attends a nonreligious community group.
- The book presents a secular humanist case for morality without religion.
- She was invited to speak as a secular humanist representative on the panel.