mankind
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four terms refer to human beings collectively, but they differ in register, inclusivity, and scope. 'Mankind' and 'humanity' are the most established — both appear in formal and historical writing — but 'humanity' is now far more common in modern English because it avoids the masculine implication of the 'man' element. 'Humankind' is a deliberate twentieth-century coinage designed to be fully gender-neutral; it appears mostly in academic or consciously inclusive texts. 'The human race' is the most concrete and everyday option, often used in spoken language and informal discussion. 'People' is much broader: it refers to individuals or groups rather than the species as a whole. For example, a scientist might say 'humanity faces a climate crisis,' while a friend might say 'people need to start recycling.'
Common collocations
Etymology
Formed within Old English from 'man' (meaning a human being, not specifically a male) and 'cynn' (family, kind, or race). The original sense was 'the human species as a whole,' and the word did not carry a masculine bias until much later, when 'man' gradually shifted toward meaning 'adult male' in everyday usage.