1.
[syn: humanistic discipline, humanities, liberal arts, arts]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Humanity \Hu*man"i*ty\, n.; pl. Humanities. [L. humanitas: cf.
F. humanit['e]. See Human.]
1. The quality of being human; the peculiar nature of man, by
which he is distinguished from other beings.
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2. Mankind collectively; the human race.
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But hearing oftentimes
The still, and music humanity. --Wordsworth.
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It is a debt we owe to humanity. --S. S. Smith.
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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.
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4. Mental cultivation; liberal education; instruction in
classical and polite literature.
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Polished with humanity and the study of witty
science. --Holland.
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5. pl. (With definite article) The branches of polite or
elegant learning; as language, rhetoric, poetry, and the
ancient classics; belles-letters.
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Note: The cultivation of the languages, literature, history,
and arch[ae]ology of Greece and Rome, were very
commonly called liter[ae] humaniores, or, in English,
the humanities, . . . by way of opposition to the
liter[ae] divin[ae], or divinity. --G. P. Marsh.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
humanities
n 1: studies intended to provide general knowledge and
intellectual skills (rather than occupational or
professional skills); "the college of arts and sciences"
[syn: humanistic discipline, humanities, liberal
arts, arts]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
26 Moby Thesaurus words for "humanities":
academic specialty, area, classical education, core curriculum,
course, course of study, curriculum, discipline, elective, field,
general education, general studies, liberal arts, major, minor,
proseminar, quadrivium, refresher course, scientific education,
seminar, specialty, study, subdiscipline, subject,
technical education, trivium