humanity

[hyoo-man-i-tee, yoo-]

noun

plural

humanities 

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.

humanity

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• antihumanity noun
• overhumanity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of humanity¹

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

Example Sentences

“It was a beautiful evening of community coming together around something that reminds us of our shared humanity at a time when we need it,” said Yaroslavsky with a smile as the evening wound down.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I think AGI is probably necessary for humanity to survive—our problems seem too big to solve…without better tools,” Altman tweeted a few years ago.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

One side has bulldozers; the other side has humanity.

Read more on Salon

A professor of humanities at Columbia, Lilla is a longtime contributor to the New York Review of Books who frequently writes about other intellectuals like Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt and Isaiah Berlin.

Read more on Salon

It is impossible not to think of the girl in the red coat in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” a note of humanity and innocence deposited on the dust heap of history.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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