Humanity — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /hyü-ˈma-nə-tē/ hu·man·i·ty

Meaning & Definition of Humanity

Humanity (noun)

  1. compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition, the quality or state of being humane
  2. the quality or state of being human
  3. human attributes or qualities

Humanity (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. human beings in general

    "all humanity can learn from this tragedy"

    similar: folks, humankind, people, public, species, world
    related: community, society, crowd, masses, mob, populace, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, riffraff

  2. the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune

    "a country known for the humanity of its liberal immigration policy"

    similar: bigheartedness, charity, commiseration, compassion, feeling, good-heartedness, heart, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, largeheartedness, mercy, pity, ruth, softheartedness, sympathy, warmheartedness
    related: feelings, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitivity, affection, love, regard, affinity, empathy, rapport, altruism, benevolence, benignancy, benignity, generosity, goodwill, humaneness, humanism, humanitarianism, philanthropy
    opposite: coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness, pitilessness
    near: callousness, coldness, disinterest, indifference, unconcern, cruelty, harshness, animosity, antipathy, dislike, hatred, hostility

  3. the human race

    "in Greek mythology, the gods display many of the weaknesses of humanity, such as jealousy, foolishness, and greed"

    similar: Homo sapiens, humankind, man, mankind
    related: being, body, creature, fellowman, human, individual, mortal, party, person

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Humanity

The most common words with a similar meaning to Humanity:

folks, humankind, people, public, species, world, bigheartedness, charity, commiseration, compassion, feeling, good-heartedness, heart, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, largeheartedness, mercy, pity, ruth, softheartedness, sympathy, warmheartedness, Homo sapiens, man, mankind

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Humanity

Words with the opposite meaning of Humanity:

coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness, pitilessness

Related Words for Humanity

community, society, crowd, masses, mob, populace, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, riffraff, feelings, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitivity, affection, love, regard, affinity, empathy, rapport, altruism, benevolence, benignancy, benignity, generosity, goodwill, humaneness, humanism, humanitarianism, philanthropy

Near Antonyms of Humanity

callousness, coldness, disinterest, indifference, unconcern, cruelty, harshness, animosity, antipathy, dislike, hatred, hostility

Word Forms of Humanity

Inflections: humanities

Origin & Etymology of Humanity

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Humanity

Words & Phrases Containing Humanity

crime against humanity

Frequently Asked Questions about Humanity

What does "Humanity" mean?

"Humanity" means compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition, the quality or state of being humane. As a noun, it is defined as: compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition, the quality or state of being humane. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Humanity"?

Other words for "Humanity" include folks, humankind, people, public, species, world, bigheartedness and charity. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Humanity" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Humanity"?

There are 65 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Humanity". Common alternatives include folks, humankind, people, public, species, world, bigheartedness, charity, commiseration and compassion.

What is the opposite of "Humanity"?

Antonyms of "Humanity" include coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness and pitilessness. Near antonyms include callousness, coldness, disinterest and indifference.

How do you use "Humanity" in a sentence?

Examples of "Humanity" in a sentence: "all humanity can learn from this tragedy"; "a country known for the humanity of its liberal immigration policy"; "in Greek mythology, the gods display many of the weaknesses of humanity, such as jealousy, foolishness, and greed".

Is "Humanity" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Humanity" is a noun.

Is "Humanity" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Humanity" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Humanity"?

"Humanity" is pronounced /hyü-ˈma-nə-tē/ and divided into syllables as hu·man·i·ty.