Hominem

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual human being, often referenced in philosophical contexts regarding humanity and its characteristics
2. A term used to denote a person, particularly in discussions surrounding human nature and ethics
3. A word conveying the essence of what it means to be human, frequently employed in debates on moral responsibility and individuality

Etymology: "Hominem" is not really an English noun at all. It is the Latin accusative of "homo", meaning "man" or "human being", and it survives in English almost entirely inside phrases such as "ad hominem" and "ad hominem argument". The phrase is Latin for "to the person" or "against the man", and English borrowed it as a technical term in logic, where it names an argument that attacks an opponent's character rather than the claim being made. The "homo" at its root is the same word that gives English "human", "humane" and "homicide" in its Latin-derived forms. Because "hominem" is a case form, it only makes sense in combination with a preposition, which is why it almost never appears alone in modern writing.