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
C. G. Bowers2
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
Maurice Bowra
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 Reconstruction Amendments, including the 14th, sought to dismantle a system that had denied millions of people their humanity and legal rights.
—Paola Mendoza, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
The Dumbarton Oaks Plant Humanities Initiative is working toward this goal by exploring plant-human relationships through the methods of both humanities and science scholarship.
—Elaine Savory, JSTOR Daily, 24 Jan. 2025
The cobra, once a symbol of nature’s awe-inspiring grandeur, became a casualty of war, its life ended not by natural predators or disease, but by humanity’s conflict.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
McLaurin’s play on the field and humanity off it became the light those fans in the dark or teammates in need gravitated toward in recent years.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for humanity 
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Paola Mendoza, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
The Dumbarton Oaks Plant Humanities Initiative is working toward this goal by exploring plant-human relationships through the methods of both humanities and science scholarship.
—Elaine Savory, JSTOR Daily, 24 Jan. 2025
The cobra, once a symbol of nature’s awe-inspiring grandeur, became a casualty of war, its life ended not by natural predators or disease, but by humanity’s conflict.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
McLaurin’s play on the field and humanity off it became the light those fans in the dark or teammates in need gravitated toward in recent years.
—Ben Standig, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for humanity
Dictionary Entries Near humanity
Cite this Entry
“Humanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humanity. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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