humanity
Americannoun
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humanities
plural
-
all human beings collectively; the human race; humankind.
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the quality or condition of being human; human nature.
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the quality of being humane; kindness; benevolence.
- Synonyms:
- goodwill, tenderness, sympathy
- Antonyms:
- unkindness, inhumanity
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the humanities,
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the study of classical languages and classical literature.
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the Latin and Greek classics as a field of study.
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literature, philosophy, art, etc., as distinguished from the natural sciences.
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the study of literature, philosophy, art, etc.
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noun
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the human race
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the quality of being human
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kindness or mercy
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(plural) the study of literature, philosophy, and the arts
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the study of Ancient Greek and Roman language, literature, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing humanity
List 1
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John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961
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List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Still, May says, “I remain hopeful and optimistic because I’ve seen the humanity in all of them. I think things are better there now than when we started.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Disney+ show, exploring whether AI and humanity can co-exist, also stars Paul Bettany, returning as Vision, and James Spader as Ultron.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
But the discussion over the technology's environmental impact -- along with fears that it could pose an existential threat to humanity -- has overshadowed its potential as a tool to combat climate change.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
In this sense, ritual doesn’t exist outside medicine but is essential to humanity in medical practice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The music fades in, right on cue—enchanting the crowd—and then the sparkling Emerald Gates open, welcoming humanity back to the Happiest Place on Earth.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
That numbers-backed thinking means engineers, software developers or entrepreneurs might all find it more appealing than humanities graduates, Lechterman said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
Many people with Ph.D.s in social sciences and humanities don’t want to work in business, and businesses may be loath to hire them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
He has since pivoted to another formidable academic concern: the waning prestige of the humanities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
A new bachelor’s degree in digital humanities will teach students how to integrate AI and digital tools into disciplines including sociology, archaeology, history, and the study of race and gender.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
The humanities and amenities of life had no attraction for him—its peaceful enjoyments no charm.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
