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Synonyms

humankind

American  
[hyoo-muhn-kahynd, -kahynd, yoo-] / ˈhyu mənˌkaɪnd, -ˈkaɪnd, ˈyu- /

noun

  1. human beings collectively; the human race.

humankind British  
/ ˌhjuːmənˈkaɪnd /

noun

  1. the human race; humanity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of humankind

First recorded in 1635–45; from the phrase human kind; modeled on mankind ( def. )

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.

"I like to think about it as walking through a doorway into how humankind explores the solar system going forward."

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

"If we really come together, we can produce so much that's beneficial to humankind," says Sharman.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Back then, nobody could conceive of humankind being connected by machines that also facilitated our disconnection from each other.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

With the emerging developments in AI and molecular genomics, humankind may soon progress from “received” life, generated by natural engineering, to designing and constructing synthetic life that is disconnected from history and heredity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

No. No, to the world, and no, to humankind.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

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.