First published 1900; not yet revised More entries for "inhumane"
inhumaneadjective
Factsheet
What does the adjective inhumane mean?
There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective inhumane, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the adjective inhumane?
About 0.6occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.42 |
| 1760 | 0.34 |
| 1770 | 0.3 |
| 1780 | 0.19 |
| 1790 | 0.17 |
| 1800 | 0.13 |
| 1810 | 0.13 |
| 1820 | 0.11 |
| 1830 | 0.1 |
| 1840 | 0.077 |
| 1850 | 0.065 |
| 1860 | 0.063 |
| 1870 | 0.069 |
| 1880 | 0.082 |
| 1890 | 0.098 |
| 1900 | 0.12 |
| 1910 | 0.14 |
| 1920 | 0.18 |
| 1930 | 0.2 |
| 1940 | 0.23 |
| 1950 | 0.29 |
| 1960 | 0.36 |
| 1970 | 0.42 |
| 1980 | 0.51 |
| 1990 | 0.58 |
| 2000 | 0.61 |
| 2010 | 0.64 |
How is the adjective inhumane pronounced?
British English
/ɪnhjuːˈmeɪn/
Where does the adjective inhumane come from?
Earliest known use
late 1500s
The earliest known use of the adjective inhumane is in the late 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for inhumane is from 1598, in the writing of John Marston, poet and playwright.
inhumane is of multiple origins. Partly borrowing from Latin. Partly formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: Latin inhūmānus; in- prefix4, humane adj.
Nearby entries
- inhospitably, adv.1667–
- inhospital, adj.1598–1716
- inhospitalious, adj.1596
- inhospitality, n.1576–
- inhospitally, adv.1613
- inhour, n.1947–
- in-house, adj. & adv.1956–
- inhouse, v.1595
- inhousehold, v.1611
- inhuman, adj. & n.1481–
- inhumane, adj.1598–
- inhumanely, adv.1598–
- inhumanism, n.1907–
- inhumanitarian, n. & adj.1936–
- inhumanity, n.1477–
- inhumanize, v.1871–
- inhumanlike, adv.1595
- inhumanly, adv.1490–
- inhumanness, n.1649–
- inhumate, v.1612–
- inhumation, n.1617–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for inhumane, adj.
inhumane, adj. was first published in 1900; not yet revised.
inhumane, adj. was last modified in September 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into inhumane, adj. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1900)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for inhumane, adj.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- inhospitably, adv.1667–
- inhospital, adj.1598–1716
- inhospitalious, adj.1596
- inhospitality, n.1576–
- inhospitally, adv.1613
- inhour, n.1947–
- in-house, adj. & adv.1956–
- inhouse, v.1595
- inhousehold, v.1611
- inhuman, adj. & n.1481–
- inhumane, adj.1598–
- inhumanely, adv.1598–
- inhumanism, n.1907–
- inhumanitarian, n. & adj.1936–
- inhumanity, n.1477–
- inhumanize, v.1871–
- inhumanlike, adv.1595
- inhumanly, adv.1490–
- inhumanness, n.1649–
- inhumate, v.1612–
- inhumation, n.1617–
