See also: Mankind

English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English mankinde, alteration (due to kinde = “kind, nature, sort”) of earlier mankin, from Old English mancynn. Equivalent to man +‎ kin, and/or man +‎ -kind. Cognate with Scots mankind, Middle High German mankünne, Danish mandkøn, Icelandic mannkyn (mankind). See also mankin.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /mænˈkaɪnd/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪnd

Noun edit

mankind (uncountable)

  1. The human race in its entirety.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
      The examples of all ages shew us that mankind in general desire power only to do harm, and, when they obtain it, use it for no other purpose.
    • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
      Malone's hot blood flushed to his head as he thought of this trifler, this insect, coming between mankind and a message of instruction and consolation descending from above.
    • 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion:
      More than a mere source of Promethean sustenance to thwart the cold and cook one's meat, wood was quite simply mankind's first industrial and manufacturing fuel.
    • 2011, David Charles Cole, Understanding God's Message for Mankind: Essential Scripture and Commentary[1], page 1:
      It next moves through the history of the Jewish people, recounting the life and death of our Lord and Savior, and ends with the Book of Revelation foretelling the inevitable climax of God's plan for mankind.
  2. Men collectively, as opposed to all women.
  3. (obsolete) Human feelings; humanity.
    • 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter[2]:
      And they are two strong ties upon mankind. Justice is the virtue that innocence rejoiċeth in

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