sub·hu·man
ˌsəb-ˈhyü-mən 
-ˈyü-
: less than human: such as
a
: failing to attain the level (as of morality or intelligence) associated with normal human beings
b
: unsuitable to or unfit for human beings
subhuman living conditions
c
: of or relating to a taxonomic group lower than that of humans
the subhuman primates
: a subhuman being
Synonyms
Examples of subhuman in a Sentence
Adjective
The prisoners suffered subhuman treatment.
years of grinding poverty that had reduced them to a subhuman existence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2024
Others, including Gali, say the term took on a darker tone that denigrates Native women, relegating them to a subhuman stature.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
Jasper Lo, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023
And the seriousness is an important part of the story, which, in large part, is about magic-wielding people who have been enslaved and are viewed as subhuman so that the populace is okay with using them like tools to support the kingdom.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 22 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for subhuman 
Adjective
So, yeah, there are Muslim terrorists, but they are also shown as people with lives and interests and not subhuman villains, which, umm, could’ve been worse.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2024
Others, including Gali, say the term took on a darker tone that denigrates Native women, relegating them to a subhuman stature.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
Noun
The brawl, which Ah Sahm wins handily, is the kind of thing that a nonwhite person fantasizes about after being treated as subhuman—a kick-ass solution to a miasmic attack.
—Jasper Lo, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023
And the seriousness is an important part of the story, which, in large part, is about magic-wielding people who have been enslaved and are viewed as subhuman so that the populace is okay with using them like tools to support the kingdom.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 22 June 2023
See all Example Sentences for subhuman
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subhuman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near subhuman
Cite this Entry
“Subhuman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subhuman. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
subhuman
adjective
sub·hu·man
ˌsəb-ˈhyü-mən, ˈsəb-, -ˈyü-
: of or relating to a taxonomic group lower than that of humans
the subhuman primates
subhuman
noun
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