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

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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

Comer goes toe-to-toe with the more experienced Oh and brings nuance to the role—a little bit of history and humanity to what might otherwise be a straightforward sociopath. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Jodie Comer of 'Killing Eve' Is One of the Most Captivating Actresses of Her Time," 4 Jan. 2019 PRNewsfoto/NET Power, LLC Climate change is unquestionably a sprawling, incredibly urgent global problem, and the transition away from fossil fuels is the biggest challenge humanity has ever taken on. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Climate and energy news in 2018 actually wasn’t all bad," 1 Jan. 2019 With advances in technology and further refinement of the concept, missions to the Venusian atmosphere can expand humanity’s future in space. — Fox News, "NASA eyes stunning 'cloud city' airship concept to explore Venus," 16 Oct. 2018 Natural disaster, climate change, nuclear war ... there are a number of factors that could doom humanity. — Discover Magazine, "How will the world end?," 14 Sep. 2018 Aquarius represents the people (its opposite sign, Leo, symbolized the monarchy), and likewise, this air sign cares deeply about humanity. — Allure, "How the Sun's Position In Your Birth Chart Affects Your Zodiac Sign," 14 Aug. 2018 She will be remembered as an avid reader with a deep understanding of history and humanity. — courant.com, "Jeralyn Boccuzzi," 13 July 2018 Anyone who doubts the power of the arts to unite humanity has only to look at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. — Claudia Bauer, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco’s Ethnic Dance Fest celebrates 40 years," 12 July 2018 The company also gave Snoo a more explicit purpose: to discover and explore humanity. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "The Transformative Power of Reddit's Alien Mascot," 6 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.

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Dictionary Entries near humanity

human leukocyte antigen

Statistics for humanity

Last Updated

15 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for humanity

The first known use of humanity was in the 14th century

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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