Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To portray or endow with human characteristics or attributes; make human.
  • transitive verb To imbue with humaneness or human kindness; civilize.
  • transitive verb To synthesize (a monoclonal antibody) using cells of an organism, usually a mouse, in which a sequence of non-human DNA has been replaced by a sequence of human DNA so that the resulting antibody is more compatible with the human immune system.
  • transitive verb To substitute the variable region of (a chimeric monoclonal antibody) with a human sequence of amino acids by replacing a sequence of non-human DNA in such an organism with a sequence of human DNA.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make human; give or attribute a human character to; render conformable to human nature or requirements.
  • To render humane or gentle; make susceptible or agreeable to human feeling; refine or soften the human character of; civilize.
  • To become human or humane; become civilized.
  • Also spelled humanise.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To render human or humane; to soften; to make gentle by overcoming cruel dispositions and rude habits; to refine or civilize.
  • transitive verb To give a human character or expression to.
  • transitive verb (Med.) To convert into something human or belonging to man.
  • intransitive verb To become or be made more humane; to become civilized; to be ameliorated.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To make human, to give or cause to have the fundamental properties of a human.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb make more humane

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

human +‎ -ize

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Examples

  • Unlike some commentators who concluded that through the recounting of these events with their frequent expressions of dismay with the program and its methods, Littell was attempting to "humanize" Dr. Aue, I found the portrait of SS officers manifesting a degree of struggle with the task they'd been assigned a compelling alternative to the usual image of Nazis as unambiguously malevolent.

    Furies 2009

  • Unlike some commentators who concluded that through the recounting of these events with their frequent expressions of dismay with the program and its methods, Littell was attempting to "humanize" Dr. Aue, I found the portrait of SS officers manifesting a degree of struggle with the task they'd been assigned a compelling alternative to the usual image of Nazis as unambiguously malevolent.

    Translated Texts 2010

  • Unlike some commentators who concluded that through the recounting of these events with their frequent expressions of dismay with the program and its methods, Littell was attempting to "humanize" Dr. Aue, I found the portrait of SS officers manifesting a degree of struggle with the task they'd been assigned a compelling alternative to the usual image of Nazis as unambiguously malevolent.

    December 2009 2009

  • I was sort of hoping they'd find a way to work into the actual movie, and I think it might've helped "humanize" the film a bit.

    I’m counting your heads as I’m making the beds: Chris reviews Tales of the Black Freighter | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment 2009

  • Unlike some commentators who concluded that through the recounting of these events with their frequent expressions of dismay with the program and its methods, Littell was attempting to "humanize" Dr. Aue, I found the portrait of SS officers manifesting a degree of struggle with the task they'd been assigned a compelling alternative to the usual image of Nazis as unambiguously malevolent.

    Point of View in Fiction 2009

  • * Howard Kurtz says the onus is on the GOP to "humanize" Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner, because he "comes off as a permanently bronzed, country club Republican, reflexively saying no to everything the administration wants."

    Happy Hour Roundup 2010

  • And yes, it sucks that we still live in a time when a black man has to "humanize" himself to win public office.

    The Obama Infomercial: How To Spend Their War Chest Before The Election Is Over 2009

  • There is little doubt that such revelations would "humanize" the "messiah" and bring him down from mount Olympus for his kool-aid drinkers to see just how ordinary their "New Kind of Politician" really is?

    Edwards, Hillary, Obama, And Rezko 2009

  • I mean, she never laughed like that in public until like a week after her advisors started talking about how they were going to "humanize" her, and then she started laughing heartily all the time, then there was a mini-backlash b/c it seemed fake, and she completely stopped.

    Media Agrees: Hillary's Laugh Is Back 2009

  • Watching Hillary cry (almost) did "humanize" her for me, but after repeated viewings, I still haven't decided whether I believe the emotions are spontaneous or scripted.

    Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Obama Campaign Co-Chair Questions Hillary's Tears 2009

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