masculinity

noun

mas·​cu·​lin·​i·​ty ˌma-skyə-ˈli-nə-tē How to pronounce masculinity (audio)
Synonyms of masculinitynext
: the quality or nature of the male sex : the quality, state, or degree of being masculine or manly
challenging traditional notions about masculinity and femininity
… a style which alternates between a polished grace and blunt masculinity.—Stuart Keate
The man controlling his environment is today the prevailing American image of masculinity.—Susan Faludi

Synonyms of masculinity

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of masculinity in a Sentence

some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Aside from his work on screen, the Londoner is an accomplished poet whose work explores themes of masculinity, love, grief and connection. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 The coming-of-age story is set in the 1990s and explores themes of masculinity and homophobia. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Holmes, with her wide eyes and soft-spoken voice seems like the polar opposite of Evans’s brash, unapologetic monument to masculinity. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2026 Thankfully, the obsession over toxic masculinity remains a minority view. — Luka Ladan, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for masculinity

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of masculinity was in 1613

Phrases Containing masculinity

Rhymes for masculinity

See All Rhymes for masculinity

Browse Nearby Words

masculinist
masculinity
masculinization
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Masculinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masculinity. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

masculinity

noun
mas·​cu·​lin·​i·​ty ˌmas-kyə-ˈlin-ət-ē How to pronounce masculinity (audio)
plural masculinities
: the quality, state, or degree of being masculine
measurement of masculinity or femininity—Psychological Abstracts
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All