mankind

[ man-kahynd for 1; man-kahynd for 2 ]
See synonyms for mankind on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the human race; human beings collectively without reference to gender; humankind: It is no longer possible, if it ever was, for a single human brain to hold all of mankind's scientific knowledge.

  2. men, as distinguished from women: Some still maintain that mankind is stronger, braver, smarter than womankind, but many others consider that absolute nonsense.

Origin of mankind

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; man + kind2

usage note For mankind

Is man gender-neutral? See man.

Other words from mankind

  • premankind, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mankind in a sentence

  • He lives again in a new and much more realistic phase of existence, and knows the actual value of mankinds cash-payments!

    The Sorrows of Satan | Marie Corelli
  • Then follows a contrasted vision of all his own and mankinds tribulations which he will leave behind him.

    Keats | Sidney Colvin
  • To the Finkelsteins it must have seemed that all mankinds concern was charity, devised for their especial benefit.

    Local Color | Irvin S. Cobb
  • Dreams of nakedness, like dreams of flying, seem to express one of mankinds cravings, freedom from clothes.

    Psychoanalysis | Andr Tridon
  • Thank God that in mankinds makeup theres more than one fundamental note!

    The Record of Currupira | Robert Abernathy

British Dictionary definitions for mankind

mankind

/ (ˌmænˈkaɪnd) /


noun
  1. human beings collectively; humanity

  2. men collectively, as opposed to womankind

usage For mankind

Nowadays many people object to the use of mankind to refer to all human beings and use the term humankind instead

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012