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

But he does stress that the smallest seed of hope is what allows us to maintain our humanity, compassion and desire for companionship, even in the most dire straits.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

We have traveled from the illusion that humanity had left global wars behind forever to the stark prospect of a third world war that could span continents and have devastating global consequences.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

In March, a resolution was passed at the United Nations recognising slavery as "the greatest crime against humanity" - though the United States voted against the resolution and every European nation abstained from the vote.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Picking up after the events of “WandaVision,” the show will see Vision “beginning to ask rather more complicated questions” about his identity and humanity, according to Bettany.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Scholars once proclaimed that the agricultural revolution was a great leap forward for humanity.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Whether new degrees in AI or digital humanities pay off, or result in concrete careers, is unsettled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 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 federal government’s prospective disinvestment in the sciences has long been the status quo for the humanities, with corporate foundations and private philanthropy providing the main funding sources.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

Mr. Guelzo is a professor of humanities at the University of Florida’s Hamilton School and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Today’s humanities class was the day I was waiting for.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

Related Words

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