mankind
Americannoun
-
the human race; human beings collectively without reference to gender; humankind.
It is no longer possible, if it ever was, for a single human brain to hold all of mankind's scientific knowledge.
-
men, as distinguished from women.
Some still maintain that mankind is stronger, braver, smarter than womankind, but many others consider that absolute nonsense.
noun
-
human beings collectively; humanity
-
men collectively, as opposed to womankind
Usage
Nowadays many people object to the use of mankind to refer to all human beings and use the term humankind instead
Gender
Is man gender-neutral? See man.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mankind
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; man ( def. ) + kind 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Mankind is every single human being — all of us. The discovery of cures for diseases benefits all of mankind, while global warming is not so kind to mankind. The entire human species can be referred to in one simple word with mankind. Pollution is something that harms mankind across the globe, and disasters like war and famine have affected mankind all through our history. If you think your dad's brownies are the very best in the entire world, you could exaggerate a little and say, "They're the most delicious thing known to mankind." In its Old English origin, man is gender-neutral, meaning simply "person."
Vocabulary lists containing mankind
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.
The concept, as described by the organization: “to create the definitive scientific, cultural and sporting movement that safely evolves mankind into a new superhumanity.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
He cut himself off from mankind at the family lake, carefully observing the animals, fish and waterfowl.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
It will contrast contemporary and historical pieces to profile the impact of technology on mankind.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
Lovecraft's famous observation that "the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026
An intrinsic part of this story would be to describe how these cells, originally obtained from Henrietta Lakes, are being grown and used for the benefit of mankind.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
