humanity

American  

[hyoo-man-i-tee, yoo-] / hyuˈmæn ɪ ti, yu- /

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.

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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

• antihumanity noun
• overhumanity noun

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

A section titled “Some more words on the matter of our impending extinction” talked about AI’s potential threat to humanity, the complaint said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Moreno-Gama allegedly carried documents discussing potential risks that AI poses to humanity, with a section titled: "Some more words on the matter of our impending extinction."

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Flanked on stage by mission commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen, astronaut Christina Koch called for people on Earth to embrace their shared humanity.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

“We should all be worried,” Roman Yampolskiy told me of this latest advance of a technology certain to change the course of humanity.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

And then I slip into the sea of humanity making their way to the exit.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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