n.; pl. Humanities [ L. humanitas: cf. F. humanité. See Human. ] 1. The quality of being human; the peculiar nature of man, by which he is distinguished from other beings. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Mankind collectively; the human race. [ 1913 Webster ]

But hearing oftentimes
The still, and music humanity. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is a debt we owe to humanity. S. S. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The quality of being humane; the kind feelings, dispositions, and sympathies of man; especially, a disposition to relieve persons or animals in distress, and to treat all creatures with kindness and tenderness. “The common offices of humanity and friendship.” Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Mental cultivation; liberal education; instruction in classical and polite literature. [ 1913 Webster ]

Polished with humanity and the study of witty science. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. pl. (With definite article) The branches of polite or elegant learning; as language, rhetoric, poetry, and the ancient classics; belles-letters. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The cultivation of the languages, literature, history, and archæology of Greece and Rome, were very commonly called literæ humaniores, or, in English, the humanities, . . . by way of opposition to the literæ divinæ, or divinity. G. P. Marsh. [ 1913 Webster ]