- plural of humanity.
humanities
CulturalExplanation
The humanities are studies about human culture, such as literature, philosophy, and history. Studying the humanities gives you general knowledge, but not a practical trade — you probably wouldn’t study humanities at beauty school. If you're studying to be a dentist or a blacksmith, you're learning to be something in particular. Studying the humanities is different. The humanities provide general knowledge about the best accomplishments of human beings throughout history. Learning the works of Shakespeare, Plato, and Beethoven is part of the humanities. The humanities make a person educated, but not necessarily for a specific profession. Most people require a more specific area of study beyond the humanities.
Vocabulary lists containing humanities
The Renaissance and Early Modern European History - Introductory
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
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Piecing Me Together
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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.
Today he serves as provost professor of humanities and arts at USC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
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
“The importance of the humanities will be revealed to those who participate.”
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
“Who is it? That guy from your humanities class? What’s his name? Kyle? Ken?”
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
