humanity

/hjuːˈmænəti/ (bre, ipa) · /hjuːˈmænəti/ (ame, ipa) · /hyü-ˈma-nə-tē yü-/ (ame, mw)

humanity — noun

1. All people on Earth, considered together as a single group — especially when tal

1.名詞B1
釋義

All people on Earth, considered together as a single group — especially when talking about the shared situation, achievements, or future of everyone in the world.

例句

The invention of the printing press changed the course of humanity.

collocation: 'the course of humanity' as a fixed phrase

Sumin believes that art speaks to something deep within all of humanity.

collocation: 'all of humanity' meaning every human being

同義詞
  • humankind

    gender-neutral alternative to 'mankind'; interchangeable with 'humanity' in formal writing

  • mankind

    older term, now considered less inclusive; common in fixed expressions like 'for all mankind'

  • people

    far more general; can refer to any group, not necessarily the entire human race

文法句型

humanity + singular verb

all of humanity

the whole of humanity

常見錯誤

❌The humanity of this country must unite.
✅The people of this country must unite.
💡'Humanity' refers to all humans worldwide, not a single nation's population.
❌A humanity was standing on the street corner.
✅A person was standing on the street corner.
💡'Humanity' is a collective mass noun, not a countable noun for an individual.

2. Kindness and care shown towards other people, especially those who are suffering

2.名詞B2
釋義

Kindness and care shown towards other people, especially those who are suffering or in a weaker position than you.

例句

The nurse treated every patient with great humanity, regardless of their background.

collocation: 'treated with humanity'

Even in wartime, there must be some basic humanity shown to prisoners.

同義詞
  • compassion

    emphasises empathy and a desire to relieve suffering; slightly more emotional than 'humanity'

  • humane-ness

    less common; focuses on not causing unnecessary pain

  • kindness

    broader and more everyday; can describe small friendly acts

反義詞
  • cruelty

    deliberate causing of pain or suffering to others

  • inhumanity

    the opposite quality — lack of kindness or compassion

文法句型

show/treat with/display humanity

humanity toward(s) someone

用法筆記

Commonly paired with verbs such as 'show', 'display', 'treat with', and nouns like 'act', 'gesture', 'sense of'.

常見錯誤

❌The government's humanity program helped refugees.
✅The government's humanitarian program helped refugees.
💡'Humanity' is a personal quality, not a type of policy; use 'humanitarian' for aid or relief efforts.
❌She has a lot of humanity for animals.
✅She has a lot of compassion for animals.
💡For non-human recipients, 'compassion' or 'kindness' is more natural.

3. The qualities and experiences of being a living person that set humans apart fro

3.名詞B2
釋義

The qualities and experiences of being a living person that set humans apart from gods, animals, and machines.

例句

What makes us different from machines is our shared humanity.

collocation: 'shared humanity' as a frequent phrase

The novel explores the dark side of humanity through its complex characters.

同義詞
  • human nature

    focuses on inborn characteristics and tendencies; slightly less lofty than 'humanity'

  • the human condition

    emphasises the experiences and struggles shared by all people

  • personhood

    legal or philosophical term for the status of being a person

反義詞
  • divinity

    the quality of being a god or goddess

  • animality

    the quality of being an animal, often contrasted with reason or morality

文法句型

possessive determiner + humanity (e.g., our humanity, shared humanity)

the + noun + of humanity

用法筆記

Often preceded by a possessive determiner ('our humanity', 'her humanity', 'shared humanity') to emphasise that the quality belongs to a person or group of people.

常見錯誤

❌His humanity made him feel hungry.
✅His human nature made him feel hungry.
💡Basic physical needs like hunger are described by 'human nature', not 'humanity'.

❌ 'Humanity is a difficult subject to study.' (ambiguous) — This sentence could mean sense 1, 3, or 4. Use 'the human condition' for sense 3 to avoid confusion.

4. Academic subjects that study human culture, ideas, and expression — including li

4.名詞B2
釋義

Academic subjects that study human culture, ideas, and expression — including literature, philosophy, history, languages, and the arts — typically contrasted with the natural sciences and social sciences.

例句

Emily decided to major in the humanities rather than engineering.

plural form: 'the humanities' with definite article

A well-rounded education should include both science and the humanities.

同義詞
  • liberal arts

    broader term that sometimes includes social sciences; common in US education

  • arts subjects

    used mainly in British education to contrast with sciences

反義詞

文法句型

the humanities + plural verb

study/read/major in the humanities

用法筆記

Almost always used in the plural form 'the humanities' with the definite article. Compare with 'the sciences' (natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology) and 'the social sciences' (such as sociology, economics, political science). Do not confuse this sense with 'humanity' (uncountable), which means people in general.

常見錯誤

❌I am studying humanity at university.' (when referring to the academic field).
✅I am studying the humanities at university.
💡The academic field is always plural: 'the humanities'.
❌Humanity is my favourite subject.' (ambiguous).
✅The humanities are my favourite field of study.
💡Use the plural verb form 'are' and the definite article.