humanity

noun hu·man·i·ty \ hyü-ˈma-nə-tē , yü- \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Examples: humanity in a Sentence

Definition of humanity

plural humanities

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

2 a : 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 ²construct 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

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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 of humanity from the Web

And trying to eliminate that difference is at some deeper level not a defense of women but an assault on humanity as a whole.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Anthony Kennedy and the Death of True American Conservatism," 29 June 2018
All too often in LGBTQ films, pain based on just the humanity of its characters feels inevitable.

— the editors of gq, GQ, "21 LGBTQ Movies Everyone Should See," 22 June 2018
The first-graders here, the latest and 20th Arizona location to open under charter school powerhouse Basis Charter Schools Inc., spend 85 minutes on humanities before heading to math.

— craig harris, azcentral, "Has Basis used Arizona tax money to expand in Texas, Washington, D.C.?," 11 May 2018
Some scientists lay the blame squarely on humanity’s shoulders, arguing overhunting doomed the planet's megafauna.

— jason g. goldman, Scientific American, "In 200 Years Cows May Be the Biggest Land Mammals on the Planet," 20 Apr. 2018
There feels like there's always constantly attacks on the humanity of marginalized folks.

— NBC News, "#RedefineAtoZ: Fatimah Asghar Is Using Her Voice to Challenge Narratives," 16 Apr. 2018
For there is nothing less interesting than a cinema which celebrates the same dubious values — meager happiness — as if this were humanity’s greatest achievement.

— carlos valladares, San Francisco Chronicle, "Argentine director Lucrecia Martel to attend Berkeley retrospective of her work," 16 Apr. 2018
Influenced by social forces like the labor movement, feminism, and the struggle for civil rights, 20th-century historians gradually broadened their vision beyond the old themes of politics and war to include a fuller range of humanity.

— amy crawford, BostonGlobe.com, "Why is history always about humans?," 13 July 2018
But the fact that June gets to move effortlessly between the perfect victim and a martyr is the kind of humanity that we have been trained to expect from white women, and white women only.

— refinery29.com, "The Handmaid's Tale Still Has A White Female Privilege Problem," 11 July 2018

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.