humane /hjumen/ 1. ADJ Humane people act in a kind, sympathetic way towards other people and animals, and try to do them as little harm as possible. In the mid-nineteenth century, Dorothea Dix began to campaign for humane treatment of the mentally ill. 2. ADJ Humane values and societies encourage people to act in a kind and sympathetic way towards others, even towards people they do not agree wi..