mankind
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
all humans considered as a single group.
the human species in its entirety. Uncountable; often used without an article in abstract or philosophical contexts.
Simple“The moon landing was described as a giant leap for mankind.”
In context“Philosophers have long debated whether mankind is inherently cooperative or naturally inclined toward competition for resources.”
UsageUsually used without 'the' when referring to the species as a whole.
Teacher's tipIn modern English, many writers prefer 'humankind' or 'humanity' to avoid the gendered 'man' prefix, though 'mankind' remains common in historical and literary contexts.
- 02 C1 Advanced
men as a group, as distinct from women.
the male portion of the human race. This sense is increasingly rare and usually found in older texts or specific sociological contrasts.
Simple“The author discussed the different roles of mankind and womankind in ancient myths.”
In context“The Victorian essayist contrasted the social expectations placed upon mankind with the domestic virtues then attributed to women.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is largely archaic; learners should use 'men' in everyday speech to avoid confusion with the general sense of 'humanity'.
SynonymsAntonymswomankind
“I want to make all mankind good and happy.”
From Middle English mankynde, alteration (due to kynde = “kind, nature, sort”) of earlier mankyn, 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.