Aerosol-phase humic-like substances (HULIS) have received increasingly attention due to their universal ambient presence, active participation in atmospheric chemistry and important environmental and health effects. In last decade, intensive field works have promoted development of quantification and analysis method, unearthed spatio-temporal variation, and proved evidence for source identification of HULIS. These important developments were summarized in this review to provide a global perspective of HULIS. The diverse operational HULIS definitions were gradually focused onto several versions. Although found globally in Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America, HULIS are far more typical in continental and near-ground aerosols. HULIS concentrations varied from <1 μg/m(3) to >13 μg/m(3), with their carbon fraction making up 9%-72% of water soluble organic carbon. Dominant HULIS source was suggested as secondary processes and biomass burning, with the detailed formation pathways suggested and verified in laboratory works.