humanity

American  

[hyoo-man-i-tee, yoo-] / hjuˈmæn ɪ ti, ju- /

noun

• humanities
  plural

1. all human beings collectively; the human race; humankind.

2. the quality or condition of being human; human nature.

3. the quality of being humane; kindness; benevolence.

   Synonyms:

   goodwill, tenderness, sympathy

   Antonyms:

   unkindness, inhumanity

4. the humanities,

   1. the study of classical languages and classical literature.

   2. the Latin and Greek classics as a field of study.

   3. literature, philosophy, art, etc., as distinguished from the natural sciences.

   4. the study of literature, philosophy, art, etc.

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humanity British  

/ hjuːˈmænɪtɪ /

noun

1. the human race

2. the quality of being human

3. kindness or mercy

4. (plural) the study of literature, philosophy, and the arts

5. the study of Ancient Greek and Roman language, literature, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antihumanity
  noun
• overhumanity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• humanities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of humanity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English humanite, from Latin hūmānitās; equivalent to human + -ity

Explanation

Humanity is the human race, which includes everyone on Earth. It’s also a word for the qualities that make us human, such as the ability to love and have compassion, be creative, and not be a robot or alien. The word humanity is from the Latin humanitas for "human nature, kindness.” Humanity includes all the humans, but it can also refer to the kind feelings humans often have for each other. Awww. But when you talk about humanity, you could just be talking about people as a whole. When people do bad things, it tests your faith in humanity. When people ask for money to help feed starving children, they're appealing to your sense of humanity.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

humanity humanities

The first danger he named wasn’t to humanity but to the state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

"And so, the task before you is not merely to advance technology, but to ensure that it remains firmly in the service of humanity, community and the natural world."

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

But without getting into cinema’s experiential humanity, it all begins to sound like hogwash.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

The debate over the potential dangers of self-improving algorithms has surged in recent weeks, with some researchers warning the technology could end humanity, and leaders of AI companies suggesting development needed to be slowed down.

From Barron's

Once more the monastery kept its usual round of service to God and humanity.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

In July, Boyagoda became the director of the Jackman Humanities Institute and special adviser to the dean of humanities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

He has since pivoted to another formidable academic concern: the waning prestige of the humanities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Many humanities and social science majors — pursued by students with a passion for sociology, history, art, music and English — tend to earn far less, around $40,000 to $60,000, the data show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Participants choose between three types of programming: STEM, business fundamentals and a humanities course.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Most things that seem ridiculous to me are normal there, like when my humanities teacher asked, “Who are the invisible people in our community? Who are the people we, as a society, take for granted?”

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

Related Words

• compassion
• empathy
• friendship
• generosity
• goodness
• goodwill
• kindness