mankind

The word “mankind” means the human race as a whole. In plain terms, all human beings, considered together.

“Mankind” is pronounced man-KYND (/mænˈkaɪnd/ in IPA).

Here is “mankind” used in a sentence: “The discovery was hailed as a giant leap for mankind.”

The opposite of “mankind” — its antonyms — are womankind and womenkind.

“Mankind” is a noun.

The word “mankind” comes from Old English. From Old English mancynn, a compound of man and cynn ("kin"), reshaped in Middle English under the influence of the word "kind.".

“Mankind” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Both refer to the human race as a whole, but humankind is often preferred as a gender-neutral alternative. Mankind has been criticized for appearing to center men, so humankind and humanity are common substitutes in inclusive writing.

Mankind refers to the human race as a whole and takes a singular verb, as in 'Mankind has achieved much.' Although it describes many people, it is treated grammatically as a single collective noun.

Some writers avoid mankind because it can be read as centering men rather than all people, even though it means the human race as a whole. Gender-neutral alternatives such as humankind, humanity, and people are often preferred in inclusive contexts.

Mankind is a common noun and is not normally capitalized, except at the start of a sentence. It takes a capital letter only in titles or for deliberate stylistic emphasis.