masculinity

noun

ˌma-skyə-ˈli-nə-tē How to pronounce masculinity (audio)
Definition of masculinitynext
as in maleness
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of masculinity Featuring collaborations with Lana Del Rey and Turnpike Troubadours, the new EP finds the country artist exploring everything from technology to masculinity. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026 From men wearing pink to push back against the pressures of toxic masculinity to women pushing back against unrealistic body standards, pink has become a color of defiant empathy. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 Sex Ed for Guys, a Tik Tok project created by Colby College students, addresses everything from consent and dating to healthy masculinity. — Katie Hurley, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 His fiction also addresses such topics as family, identity, and masculinity. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masculinity
  1. maleness
  2. manhood
  3. manliness
  4. virility
  5. machismo
Noun
  • Public speech was a—if not the—defining attribute of maleness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • The men handling their maleness was interesting.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of maleness
Noun
  • That was a great pinball experience, just to bounce off these guys my whole life as a boy and kind of go into manhood and make music with those guys.
    — Gary Graff, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, her son Ruari (Murphy) is in a crisis about his manhood, and her parents are ailing.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of manhood
Noun
  • Lee ingratiates himself by pretending to be interested in becoming a CO himself — attracted to the manliness and the glamor.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While concerns regarding testosterone levels are new, anxiety about manliness is ancient, often rising with a society’s material comfort.
    — Elizabeth Dray, STAT, 21 July 2026
Definition of manliness
Noun
  • Smallwood attacks Nick’s virility, saying he’ll be publicly humiliated when his wife has to bail him out again in court.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The frozen velocity of paint whipped across a canvas suggested a new visual metaphor for intensity, aggression, violence, virility, force, energy, music, and ecstasy, a more efficient representation than any previous word or picture had managed.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of virility
Noun
  • Though his stage presence could easily veer into a machismo-heavy persona, Robles sets himself apart in comedy by being the opposite.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Yet in a land where machismo still reigns, it’s considered a rather severe insult.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of machismo

Browse Nearby Words

masculine
masculinity
mash
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Cite this Entry

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

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