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

There was a scattering of arts and humanities people who were paying attention to AI and who generally approached the technology with an attitude of open curiosity. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026

But only recently has this process been encoded so specifically onto the face, traditionally thought of as a portal to our humanity. — Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026

The plan also reads a bit like a fairy tale in which world leadership suddenly comes together, setting aside politics, personal interest, and greed for the sake of humanity. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 10 July 2026

Elon Musk’s plans for the future of SpaceX, and humanity, are rooted in an idea conceived in the 1960s when astronomers began to pick up mysterious, unknown radio sources in the cosmos. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 10 July 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