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

Over the ensuing centuries, high-IQ couples wait for just the right time to have children, while their lower-IQ counterparts breed aplenty until mankind becomes exponentially more vapid. — Donald Liebenson, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026

Come for the deep dive into mankind’s favorite building material, stay for his detours into everything from Hallmark screenwriting tropes to the lost Yuletide recordings of the late DMX. — A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Now, as then, the world is churning over the identities of peoples and nations based on either ethnicity and religion or the values and rights inherent in all mankind. — Kurt Shillinger, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026

Once-acceptable gendered terms, such as mankind and stewardess, have been replaced with alternatives. — Jo MacKiewicz, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 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