Underhuman

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Treated or regarded as less deserving of human rights, dignity, or moral consideration than others
2. Viewed or treated as beneath the standard of humanity in status, rights, or fundamental worth
3. Considered to possess a lesser claim to human dignity, protection, or moral standing than full human beings

Etymology: "Under-" comes from Old English "under," meaning beneath or lower, and it attaches to adjectives to mean less than the base quality. Pairing it with "human," it describes a being or group regarded as falling short of full humanity. The prefix does the work here: the compound is transparent, and its meaning follows directly from its parts. "Human" entered English through Old French "humain" from Latin "humanus," which is related to "homo," "man" or "person." The Latin word may in turn connect to "humus," "earth," though that link is debated, so it is best treated as uncertain.

Synonyms: subhuman

Antonyms: superhuman