humanist

Everyday

1. A humanist is a person who lives by reason, science and kindness rather than religion, believing people can be good and make life meaningful without God. tree →
2. (history) A humanist was a scholar of the Renaissance who studied the writings of ancient Greece and Rome. tree →
3. As an adjective, humanist describes these ideas, like a humanist wedding or funeral. tree →

In the lessons

In RE many UK schools teach humanism alongside religions. Humanists hold ceremonies such as weddings, baby namings and funerals without prayers. In history lessons, Renaissance humanists brought back old books and ideas. Phrases: humanist ceremony, humanist wedding, humanist funeral, Humanists UK.

Examples

• My aunt had a humanist wedding in a garden. tree →
• Humanists believe we should be kind because people matter. tree →
• The humanist speaker talked about Grandma's life at the funeral. tree →
• Erasmus was a famous Renaissance humanist. tree →
• In RE we compared Christian and humanist views of right and wrong. tree →
• A humanist uses reason and evidence to make choices. tree →

Note

Countable: a humanist. Noun humanism. Not the same as "humanitarian" (someone who helps people in need) or "humane" (kind, especially to animals).