Humanity, n.; pl. Humanities.
Etymology: [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.
2. Mankind collectively; the human race. But hearing oftentimes The still, and music humanity. Wordsworth. It is a debt we owe to humanity. S. S. Smith.
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.
4. Mental cultivation; liberal education; instruction in classical and polite literature. Polished with humanity and the study of witty science. Holland.
3 more senses
5. pl. (With definite article)
The branches of polite or elegant learning; as language, rhetoric, poetry, and the ancient classics; belles-letters.
Note: 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.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for humanity; he lists it under benevolence.
Where he writes about it:
Humanity is so much kindness and tenderness toward man or beast as it would be inhuman not to have; we say of some act of care or kindness, "common humanity requires it." Generosity is self-forgetful kindness in disposition or action; it includes much besides giving; as, the generosity of forgiveness. — from benevolence