人類（じんるい、jinrui）
- humanity

The Japanese word 人類 (人類 - *jinrui*) means "humanity," "mankind," or "the human race." It refers to all human beings collectively. It encompasses the entirety of the species *Homo sapiens*, considering all people, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, gender, or other individual characteristics. 人類 is often used in contexts that discuss the history, future, or characteristics of the human species as a whole.

⚫︎ 人類は長い歴史の中で、様々な困難を乗り越えてきました。 Translation: Humanity has overcome various difficulties throughout its long history. ⚫︎ 科学技術は人類の生活を大きく変えました。 Translation: Science and technology have greatly changed the lives of humanity. ⚫︎ 人類の未来を守るために、環境問題に取り組む必要があります。 Translation: We need to address environmental issues to protect the future of humankind.

* Use 人類 (*jinrui*) when referring to the human species in a general or collective sense. * It is suitable for formal and informal contexts. * Commonly used in discussions about history, science, societal issues, and the future of humankind. * It's a very common and versatile word.

* The word is written in kanji as 人類. * The reading is *jinrui* in hiragana. * There are no other common ways to write this word. * There are no variations in okurigana.

* 人間 (*ningen*): This word means "human being" or "person". While related, 人間 refers to individual humans, and 人類 (*jinrui*) refers to the species. * 人間社会 (*ningen shakai*): This word means "human society".

* There is no exact antonym, as it refers to the entirety of humans. However, one could consider the non-human world, or the natural environment.

人類は宇宙を探求する能力を持っています。 ・Translation: Humanity has the ability to explore the universe. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights a capability possessed by the whole human race.

気候変動は人類にとって大きな脅威です。 ・Translation: Climate change is a major threat to humanity. ・Explanation: This sentence discusses a global issue affecting all of humankind.

The word 人類 is formed from the kanji 人 (*jin*), meaning "human," and 類 (*rui*), meaning "type," "kind," or "category". Thus, 人類 literally means "human kind" or "human species."