humanity

noun

hu·​man·​i·​ty hyü-ˈma-nə-tē 

yü-

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 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 of humanity

• world
• people

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

Zumthor’s buildings, in my book, speak the language of believing in a better version of humanity. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026

Every so often, the British writer-director Mike Leigh makes a movie in which the stars — and the tartly casual dramatic scenes — line up, coalescing into a full-on vision of prickly humanity. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

And this character has humanity but has a very different relationship to it and the color is very different. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

Yet Na also insists on treating his aliens as objects of contemplation and pathos—reflections of our own misshapen humanity. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see human entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing humanity

• crime against humanity

Rhymes for humanity

• inanity
• insanity
• profanity
• urbanity
• christianity
• inhumanity
• sanity
• vanity

Kids Definition

humanity

noun

hu·​man·​i·​ty hyü-ˈman-ət-ē 

yü-

plural humanities

1

: the quality or state of being human or of being humane

2

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

3

: the whole collection of human beings both past and present