mankind

[ man-kahynd man-kahynd ]

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.

mankind

/ ˌmænˈkaɪnd /

noun

1. human beings collectively; humanity
2. men collectively, as opposed to womankind

Usage

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

Gender Note

Is man gender-neutral? See man.

Other Words From

• premankind noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mankind¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; man ( def ) + kind ²( def )

Related Words

• humanity
• humankind
• society