subhuman

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English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

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From sub- +‎ human.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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subhuman (comparative more subhuman, superlative most subhuman)

  1. (inherently emic, often offensive) Lacking characteristics of a human in a way judged to be less than human by some value judgment, opinion, or belief system (as for example an anthropocentric view of nonhuman primates or a Nazi view of various human outgroups).
    1. As tendentiously asserted of humans.
      Synonym: infrahuman
      Antonyms: superhuman, suprahuman, ultrahuman
      Coordinate term: transhuman
      A secret to Nazi power was that anyone from the ingroup could be turned upon and labeled as subhuman scum when some alleged Jewish ancestry was suddenly "discovered".
    2. As anthropocentrically asserted of nonhuman animals, especially in centuries past.
      Synonym: infrahuman
      We say dolphin intelligence is subhuman; I suspect dolphins say our intelligence is subdolphin.
      In the belief system of his day, chimpanzees were described as subhuman and asserted to be incapable of feeling pain.

Translations

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Noun

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subhuman (plural subhumans)

  1. (inherently emic, usually offensive) Any sentient creature, especially a humanoid one, which is less than human by some value judgment, opinion, or belief system (as for example an anthropocentric view of nonhuman primates or a Nazi view of various human outgroups).
    Synonym: untermensch
    Antonyms: superhuman, übermensch
    Hypernym: humanoid
    Near-synonym: nonperson

Translations

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See also

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