mankind

noun

man·​kind

singular or plural in construction

1

ˈman-ˈkīnd 

-ˌkīnd

: the human race : the totality of human beings

2

ˈman-ˌkīnd  : men especially as distinguished from women

Synonyms of mankind

• humanity
• human

Examples of mankind in a Sentence

all of mankind stands to gain if world peace is ever achieved

Recent Examples on the Web

The trippy, mind-bending sci-fi thriller stars Matthew McConaughey as a former NASA pilot recruited for a mission to find a potential new world for mankind when Earth becomes unlivable. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Cillian Murphy nabbed an Oscar for his haunted performance as the former UC Berkeley professor and physicist whose groundbreaking work led to one of the most frightening, formidable scientific discoveries in all of mankind. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Spiritually, His Holiness is an emanation, or tulku, of the bodhisattva Chenrezig, who renounced nirvana to help mankind. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026

There are no guarantees in life, but that hasn’t stopped mankind from consistently searching for some semblance of security. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mankind

• aligned
• alined
• assigned
• behind
• combined
• confined
• consigned
• crosswind
• declined
• defined
• designed
• divined

Kids Definition

mankind

noun

man·​kind

1

ˈman-ˈkīnd, 

-ˌkīnd

: the human race : all human beings

2

-ˌkīnd

: men rather than women

Medical Definition

mankind

noun singular but singular or plural in construction

man·​kind ˈman-ˈkīnd, -ˌkīnd 

: the human race : the totality of human beings