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

• folks
• humankind
• people
• public
• species
• world

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

The Trump administration terminated over 1,000 grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, including funding for all state humanities councils. —Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025

There are two key mechanisms driving this trend, both induced by humanity’s appetite for fossil fuels. —Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025

During their multi-day mission, Dragon and the crew conducted 22 research studies designed to help advance humanity’s capabilities for long-duration space exploration and the understanding of human health in space. —Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025

The news comes two days after 56 state and jurisdiction humanities councils across the country received a letter that their NEH grants were being terminated. —Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025

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