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human nature
noun
: the nature of humans
especially
: the fundamental dispositions and traits of humans
Examples of human nature in a Sentence
You can't change human nature.
Recent Examples on the Web
Welcome to Sports Psychology 101, the study of human nature as applied to basketball.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
Nicole’s unique style of capturing the essence of human nature painfully reminds us that the war is never ‘theirs,’ but ours, everybody’s.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
There’s something in Albee’s play that is so true to human nature.
—Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 14 Feb. 2024
Through its complex depiction of a bloodthirsty mob, M explores the disturbingly violent tendencies inherent in human nature.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
The laws of markets, rooted in human nature, govern every transaction and participant.
—Ge Bai, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Some things never change, however, one of them being human nature.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
Alas, such is human nature, that our great American project will always be a precarious one.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 5 Mar. 2024
Likewise, human nature does not drive countries to war.
—Michael Mann, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'human nature.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of human nature was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near human nature
Cite this Entry
“Human nature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20nature. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
human nature
noun
: the nature of human beings
especially
: the ways of thinking, acting, and reacting that are common to most or all human beings or that are learned in social situations
More from Merriam-Webster on human nature
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about human nature
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