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
As the mother of humanity’s future savior against legions of killer robots, Sarah Connor would likely balk at General Eleanor McCallister, Hamilton’s character on the Syfy series, a hard-nosed officer who initially opposes and then later joins forces with Alan Tudyk’s titular alien.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
How climate change is disrupting California's storms Here’s a look at how humanity’s heating of the planet affects California’s storms, snowpack and more.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Frightening to some, thrilling to others, baffling to many: Artificial intelligence has been called a transformative technology, a threat to democracy, or even an existential risk for humanity.
—David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
Frightening to some, thrilling to others, baffling to many: Artificial intelligence has been called a transformative technology, a threat to democracy or even an existential risk for humanity.
—David Klepper, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Created by and starring the Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, the HBO show spent 24 years both probing humanity’s depravity (not unlike said plane-urination incident) and questioning the veneer of interpersonal niceties (such as politely praising the mediocre food at a dinner party).
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2024
When Africa was recognized as the site of humanity’s origin, this came at a cost.
—Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024
Now, six decades later, Ed Dwight is set to embark on the New Shepard mission, sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity, a nonprofit changing global perspectives by democratizing access to space for all of humanity, with additional support from the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
The four main ones are military necessity, distinction, proportionality, and humanity.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
How climate change is disrupting California's storms Here’s a look at how humanity’s heating of the planet affects California’s storms, snowpack and more.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Frightening to some, thrilling to others, baffling to many: Artificial intelligence has been called a transformative technology, a threat to democracy, or even an existential risk for humanity.
—David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
Frightening to some, thrilling to others, baffling to many: Artificial intelligence has been called a transformative technology, a threat to democracy or even an existential risk for humanity.
—David Klepper, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Created by and starring the Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, the HBO show spent 24 years both probing humanity’s depravity (not unlike said plane-urination incident) and questioning the veneer of interpersonal niceties (such as politely praising the mediocre food at a dinner party).
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2024
When Africa was recognized as the site of humanity’s origin, this came at a cost.
—Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024
Now, six decades later, Ed Dwight is set to embark on the New Shepard mission, sponsored by the nonprofit Space for Humanity, a nonprofit changing global perspectives by democratizing access to space for all of humanity, with additional support from the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
The four main ones are military necessity, distinction, proportionality, and humanity.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'humanity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Humanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humanity. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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