"mensch" meaning in English

See mensch in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /mɛnt͡ʃ/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mensch.wav [Southern-England] Forms: mensches [plural], menschen [plural]
Rhymes: -ɛnʃ, -ɛntʃ Etymology: From Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”), from Middle High German mensch, mensche, mennische, from Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). The spelling mensch was influenced by German Mensch; compare the alternative spellings. Doublet of mennish and mensk; compare also mense. For the semantics, compare Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”), English humane. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|yi|מענטש|t=an honorable person}} Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”), {{der|en|gmh|mensch}} Middle High German mensch, {{m|gmh|mensche}} mensche, {{m|gmh|mennische}} mennische, {{der|en|goh|mennisko|t=man, human being}} Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”), {{der|en|gem-pro|*manniskaz|t=human}} Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”), {{cog|de|Mensch}} German Mensch, {{doublet|en|mennish|mensk}} Doublet of mennish and mensk, {{m|en|mense}} mense, {{cog|la|humanē|t=kindly, courteously}} Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”), {{cog|en|humane}} English humane Head templates: {{en-noun|+|menschen}} mensch (plural mensches or menschen)
  1. A person (chiefly male) of strength, integrity, and honor or compassion. Translations (person of strength, integrity and compassion): মরদ (morod) (Bengali), hyvä mies (Finnish), kunnon mies (Finnish), homme de bien [masculine] (French), ben adam (Ladino), sadik (Ladino), morus [masculine] (Polish), równiacha [masculine] (Polish), równiak [masculine] (Polish), równy gość [masculine] (Polish), swój chłop [masculine] (Polish), מענטש (mentsh) (Yiddish), צדיק (tsadek) (Yiddish)
    Sense id: en-mensch-en-noun-7n-FEx06 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 47 53 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 59 41 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 59 41 Disambiguation of 'person of strength, integrity and compassion': 96 4
  2. A gentleman. Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-mensch-en-noun-Zcb8ENVw Disambiguation of People: 0 100 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 47 53
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: mensh, mentsch, mentsh, mentch, mench Derived forms: menschy

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for mensch meaning in English (7.0kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "menschy"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yi",
        "3": "מענטש",
        "t": "an honorable person"
      },
      "expansion": "Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”)",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmh",
        "3": "mensch"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German mensch",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "mensche"
      },
      "expansion": "mensche",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "mennische"
      },
      "expansion": "mennische",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "goh",
        "3": "mennisko",
        "t": "man, human being"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*manniskaz",
        "t": "human"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Mensch"
      },
      "expansion": "German Mensch",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mennish",
        "3": "mensk"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of mennish and mensk",
      "name": "doublet"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mense"
      },
      "expansion": "mense",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "humanē",
        "t": "kindly, courteously"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "humane"
      },
      "expansion": "English humane",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”), from Middle High German mensch, mensche, mennische, from Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). The spelling mensch was influenced by German Mensch; compare the alternative spellings. Doublet of mennish and mensk; compare also mense. For the semantics, compare Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”), English humane.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "mensches",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "menschen",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "menschen"
      },
      "expansion": "mensch (plural mensches or menschen)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "59 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "59 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1960, Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond, The Apartment",
          "text": "Doctor Dreyfuss [to C. C. Baxter]: Be a mensch!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006 February 20, Paul Krugman, “The Mensch Gap”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
          "text": "Where have all the mensches gone? The character of the administration reflects the character of the man at its head.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008 December 28, George Solomon, “My Little Red Book”, in The Washington Post, page D01",
          "text": "Olie Kolzig: Goalie for the Washington Capitals who spent most of 16 seasons between the pipes for the team until being released in 2008. Had the longest career of any Capital. Now plays for Tampa Bay. The ultimate mensch, in my book.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Dwight S. Huggins, Into the Greenhouse Vol. VI: Dreams",
          "text": "She was an Amerindian, and stout. She was a real mensch, […] a hard working person, who took pride in her job, which was to spray from an aerosol can a particular base.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person (chiefly male) of strength, integrity, and honor or compassion."
      ],
      "id": "en-mensch-en-noun-7n-FEx06",
      "links": [
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ],
        [
          "integrity",
          "integrity"
        ],
        [
          "honor",
          "honor"
        ],
        [
          "compassion",
          "compassion"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "bn",
          "lang": "Bengali",
          "roman": "morod",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "word": "মরদ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "word": "hyvä mies"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "word": "kunnon mies"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "homme de bien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "lad",
          "lang": "Ladino",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "word": "ben adam"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "lad",
          "lang": "Ladino",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "word": "sadik"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "morus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "równiacha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "równiak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "równy gość"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "swój chłop"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "yi",
          "lang": "Yiddish",
          "roman": "mentsh",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "word": "מענטש"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "yi",
          "lang": "Yiddish",
          "roman": "tsadek",
          "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
          "word": "צדיק"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 100",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A gentleman."
      ],
      "id": "en-mensch-en-noun-Zcb8ENVw",
      "links": [
        [
          "gentleman",
          "gentleman"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/mɛnt͡ʃ/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛnʃ"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntʃ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mensch.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mensh"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mentsch"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mentsh"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mentch"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mench"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "mensch"
  ],
  "word": "mensch"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 1-syllable words",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English doublets",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English nouns with irregular plurals",
    "English terms borrowed from Yiddish",
    "English terms derived from Middle High German",
    "English terms derived from Old High German",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms derived from Yiddish",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntʃ",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛntʃ/1 syllable",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛnʃ",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "menschy"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yi",
        "3": "מענטש",
        "t": "an honorable person"
      },
      "expansion": "Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”)",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmh",
        "3": "mensch"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German mensch",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "mensche"
      },
      "expansion": "mensche",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "mennische"
      },
      "expansion": "mennische",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "goh",
        "3": "mennisko",
        "t": "man, human being"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*manniskaz",
        "t": "human"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Mensch"
      },
      "expansion": "German Mensch",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mennish",
        "3": "mensk"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of mennish and mensk",
      "name": "doublet"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mense"
      },
      "expansion": "mense",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "humanē",
        "t": "kindly, courteously"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "humane"
      },
      "expansion": "English humane",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”), from Middle High German mensch, mensche, mennische, from Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). The spelling mensch was influenced by German Mensch; compare the alternative spellings. Doublet of mennish and mensk; compare also mense. For the semantics, compare Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”), English humane.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "mensches",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "menschen",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "menschen"
      },
      "expansion": "mensch (plural mensches or menschen)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1960, Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond, The Apartment",
          "text": "Doctor Dreyfuss [to C. C. Baxter]: Be a mensch!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006 February 20, Paul Krugman, “The Mensch Gap”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
          "text": "Where have all the mensches gone? The character of the administration reflects the character of the man at its head.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008 December 28, George Solomon, “My Little Red Book”, in The Washington Post, page D01",
          "text": "Olie Kolzig: Goalie for the Washington Capitals who spent most of 16 seasons between the pipes for the team until being released in 2008. Had the longest career of any Capital. Now plays for Tampa Bay. The ultimate mensch, in my book.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2008, Dwight S. Huggins, Into the Greenhouse Vol. VI: Dreams",
          "text": "She was an Amerindian, and stout. She was a real mensch, […] a hard working person, who took pride in her job, which was to spray from an aerosol can a particular base.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person (chiefly male) of strength, integrity, and honor or compassion."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "strength",
          "strength"
        ],
        [
          "integrity",
          "integrity"
        ],
        [
          "honor",
          "honor"
        ],
        [
          "compassion",
          "compassion"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A gentleman."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "gentleman",
          "gentleman"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/mɛnt͡ʃ/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛnʃ"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛntʃ"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mensch.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mensch.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "mensh"
    },
    {
      "word": "mentsch"
    },
    {
      "word": "mentsh"
    },
    {
      "word": "mentch"
    },
    {
      "word": "mench"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bn",
      "lang": "Bengali",
      "roman": "morod",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "word": "মরদ"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "word": "hyvä mies"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "word": "kunnon mies"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "homme de bien"
    },
    {
      "code": "lad",
      "lang": "Ladino",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "word": "ben adam"
    },
    {
      "code": "lad",
      "lang": "Ladino",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "word": "sadik"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "morus"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "równiacha"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "równiak"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "równy gość"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "swój chłop"
    },
    {
      "code": "yi",
      "lang": "Yiddish",
      "roman": "mentsh",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "word": "מענטש"
    },
    {
      "code": "yi",
      "lang": "Yiddish",
      "roman": "tsadek",
      "sense": "person of strength, integrity and compassion",
      "word": "צדיק"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "mensch"
  ],
  "word": "mensch"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.