humanity

noun

hu·man·i·ty | \ hyü-ˈma-nə-tē

, yü-\

plural humanities

Definition of humanity

1 : compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition : the quality or state of being humane bespeaking humanity for the enemy in the midst of a bloody struggle— C. G. Bowers

2a : the quality or state of being human joined together by their common humanity

b humanities plural : human attributes or qualities his work has the ripeness of the 18th century, and its rough humanities— Pamela H. Johnson

3 humanities plural : the branches of learning (such as philosophy, arts, or languages) that investigate human constructs (see construct entry 2 sense 1a) and concerns as opposed to natural processes (as in physics or chemistry) and social relations (as in anthropology or economics)

4 : the totality of human beings : the human race : humankind a fierce compassion for the woes of humanity— Maurice Bowra

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about humanity

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Examples of humanity in a Sentence

We appealed to his sense of humanity. These discoveries will be of benefit to all humanity. She was cut off from the rest of humanity. the college of arts and humanities He's taking courses in both the sciences and the humanities.

Recent Examples on the Web

The horrendous toll on humanity from two decades of Venezuelan socialism can’t be overstated. — Mary Anastasia O’grady, WSJ, "Power and Money in Venezuela," 10 Feb. 2019 All of humanity was finally coming to recognize the transcendent principles of democratic liberty and equality—or so many observers concluded. — Roberto Stefan Foa And Yascha Mounk, WSJ, "When Democracy Is No Longer the Only Path to Prosperity," 1 Mar. 2019 End the 'zero-humanity' policy that created this crisis. — Sarah Midkiff, refinery29.com, "21 Signs From Americans Fed Up With Trump At Families Belong Together Marches," 30 June 2018 And now, the time has come for humanity to reclaim it and bring itself to an end. — Glenn Fleishman, Fortune, "5 Great Works From Acclaimed Sci-Fi Author Harlan Ellison, Who Died at 84," 29 June 2018 Online, humanity seems bound to sink ever deeper into a Hamiltonian hole. — The Economist, "The art of the possibleThere is no single solution to making the internet more decentralised," 28 June 2018 Climate scientists have established that the planet is warming at an unprecedented pace because of humanity’s consumption of fossil fuels. — Scott Waldman, Scientific American, "Judge Orders EPA to Produce Science Behind Pruitt’s Warming Claims," 5 June 2018 To try to recapture a sense of community and common humanity. — Douglas Perry, OregonLive.com, "Woodburn teenager arrested after allegedly making school-shooting threats on Snapchat," 23 May 2018 According to Mark 15:38, sin had separated people from God, but at the moment of Christ's death, the veil that separated humanity from the presence of God lifted. — Woman's Day Staff, Woman's Day, "When Is Good Friday? Here's Everything You Need to Know," 13 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'humanity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for humanity

humanity

noun

English Language Learners Definition of humanity

: the quality or state of being human

: the quality or state of being kind to other people or to animals

: all people

See the full definition for humanity in the English Language Learners Dictionary

humanity

noun

hu·man·i·ty | \ hyü-ˈma-nə-tē

, yü-\

plural humanities

Kids Definition of humanity

1 : the quality or state of being human Old enemies were joined by their common humanity in combating the disease.

2 : the human race These discoveries will benefit humanity.

3 humanities plural : studies (as literature, history, and art) concerned primarily with human culture

4 : kindness sense 1, sympathy … she … sent the Portugal captain a very handsome present for his humanity and charity to me.— Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe