sapiens
adjective
sa·pi·ens
ˈsa-pē-ənz 
ˈsā-,
-ˌenz
: of, relating to, or being recent humans (Homo sapiens) as distinguished from various fossil hominids
Examples of sapiens in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to its basic theory, Homo sapiens as a species moved so rapidly from hunting and gathering to buying food at supermarkets that our genes never caught up.
—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2026
Homo naledi is an extinct cousin of our species, Homo sapiens.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 June 2026
And this story begins not with Homo sapiens but with our distant ancestors.
—
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Rougier said the decline coincided with the arrival of early Homo sapiens in Europe, raising the possibility that competition for resources may have played a role.
—
City News Service,
Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
This specific ability to construct and manipulate symbols reflects the cognitive plasticity that enabled Homo sapiens to adapt and thrive, as per IFLScience.
—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Mar. 2026
But within that 500 million, the overwhelmingly safe bet is to say that intelligence will evolve if Homo sapiens were to vanish overnight.
—
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
Research published online today in Science has identified these sapiens-specific variants and homed in on one in particular that may have brought about a pivotal change in the way our brain develops.
—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2021
The remaining challenge, however, was to identify these fossils as clearly being Homo sapiens.
—
Ben Panko,
Smithsonian,
8 June 2017
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David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2026
Homo naledi is an extinct cousin of our species, Homo sapiens.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 June 2026
And this story begins not with Homo sapiens but with our distant ancestors.
—
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Rougier said the decline coincided with the arrival of early Homo sapiens in Europe, raising the possibility that competition for resources may have played a role.
—
City News Service,
Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
This specific ability to construct and manipulate symbols reflects the cognitive plasticity that enabled Homo sapiens to adapt and thrive, as per IFLScience.
—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Mar. 2026
But within that 500 million, the overwhelmingly safe bet is to say that intelligence will evolve if Homo sapiens were to vanish overnight.
—
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
Research published online today in Science has identified these sapiens-specific variants and homed in on one in particular that may have brought about a pivotal change in the way our brain develops.
—
Kate Wong,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2021
The remaining challenge, however, was to identify these fossils as clearly being Homo sapiens.
—
Ben Panko,
Smithsonian,
8 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Sapiens.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sapiens. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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