The Friend of Man
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The name given to the Marquis de Mirabeau (1715-89), father of Mirabeau, the French revolutionary orator. His great work was VAmi des Homines, hence the nickname.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Friend of Man” mean?
The name given to the Marquis de Mirabeau (1715-89), father of Mirabeau, the French revolutionary orator. His great work was VAmi des Homines, hence the nickname.
Is “The Friend of Man” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.