mankind
Americannoun
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the human race; human beings collectively without reference to gender; humankind.
It is no longer possible, if it ever was, for a single human brain to hold all of mankind's scientific knowledge.
-
men, as distinguished from women.
Some still maintain that mankind is stronger, braver, smarter than womankind, but many others consider that absolute nonsense.
noun
-
human beings collectively; humanity
-
men collectively, as opposed to womankind
Usage
Nowadays many people object to the use of mankind to refer to all human beings and use the term humankind instead
Gender
Is man gender-neutral? See man.
Other Word Forms
- premankind noun
Etymology
Origin of mankind
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; man ( def. ) + kind 2 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Library of Congress’s mission is to make accessible as much of mankind’s accumulated knowledge as possible, for original research and thought.
Scientists have long warned that climate change caused by mankind's burning of fossil fuels will make periods of drought more intense and longer-lasting, creating the ideal conditions for wildfires.
From Barron's
Tessa sees it as a mission, one of dozens that involve the company colonizing planets and stripping their resources, justifying that plunder as necessary to benefit mankind.
From Salon
“I’ve always dreamed of seeing the future,” Doc says with glee, “Looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind.”
From Los Angeles Times
In a philosophical discussion of the kind that is more common on college campuses than in corporate headquarters, Jordan and Yash argue about whether mankind has made moral progress.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
