How Do You Define "Humour"?

Humour is a characteristic or the quality of being funny. Thus it is the trait of invoking amusement or lightening the mood through wit. Thus it can be defined as an ability which enables a person or a situation to evoke, fun, joy and laughter in others.  Thus it can only be described as a complex phenomenon which is capable of making us laugh and evoke mirth. It is difficult to aptly define humour.

Many consider this quality as the gift or the ability to see the lighter side of things even during adverse situations. Thus it is considered a virtue in most of the cases. There are several types of humour. Somebody had once defined it as a surprise without threat or promise. It is considered a boon to be blessed with a sense of humour because this quality helps in overcoming the various problems in life and not being bothered too much by them.

In British English (and by extension, in all the countries of the Commonwealth where English is spoken), the spelling of the word humour is h-u-m-o-u-r. It is the universal spelling of the word counsellor. In American English, the word humour is spelt without the second letter u. That is, the American spelling of the word humour is h-u-m-o-r (that is, humour).

The word humour is defined as the ability of quality of a person or a group of people or a situation or an object to invoke a feeling of amusement, entertainment or enjoyment and convey the emotion of happiness in other people. People who are humorous are said to possess a good sense of humour.

While the word humour is used in the noun form, the word humorous is used in the form of an adjective. A person who specialises in amusing people is either known as a comedian (this term is usually used in the context of a play, a film or a stage performance, that is, as a stand-up comedian) or a humorist (this term is usually used in the context of a book or an article).

In modern English, humour (humor in US English) means being amusing or comic (possessing the ability to make people laugh) or being able to appreciate something amusing or comic ("A sense of humour.") As to what makes something amusing or comic, that varies between cultures, age groups and even individuals. A humorist is someone whose profession is making people laugh (usually through writing rather than through public speaking: the latter is usually called a comedian.) The adjective form is humorous.
The older meaning of humour is mood or temper. We still have this usage ("in a good humour.") In the MIddle Ages and even into the 18th century, it was thought that humans were governed by the "humours" or fluids in their blood, which gave them their personalities (this is where phrases like "good-humoured" come from.) It can also be a verb: "to humour someone" means to play along with their moods instead of challenging them.


The word humour comes from the Latin humor,  "Moisture."