masculine

1 of 2

adjective

mas·​cu·​line ˈma-skyə-lən How to pronounce masculine (audio)
1
a
: considered to be characteristic of men
stereotypically masculine traits/characteristics
masculine pride/bravado
Cady stands as a direct challenge to Bowden's masculine dominance—their first encounter in the film, for example, is when Cady shoves his hand into Bowden's car and turns off the ignition.Jamelle Bouie
: marked by or having qualities, features, etc. traditionally associated with men
a masculine voice
This one's a man's watch. And though it's built for rugged, masculine pursuits, the simple face and elegant strap lend it a suit-worthy elegance, too.advertisement in GQ
The masculine equivalent of haute couture in suits features jackets with soft shoulders, large sleeves, neat fronts and small-notched lapels …Ariel Wizman
b
: of, relating to, or being a man or boy
(dated) … the masculine [=male] inhabitants of the village …Thomas Hardy
The butler these days is seen as a masculine version of Heloise, Miss Manners and Julia Child rolled into one.Liz Pogue
also : of, relating to, or intended for men or boys
A hundred years later, the finery of French court dressing had given way to the simplicity of the English squire, whose coarse tweeds and woolens set the tone for a new definition of masculine attire. Frances Rogers
2
grammar : of, relating to, or constituting the gender (see gender entry 1 sense 1a) that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to males as well as other words and forms either systematically or arbitrarily in the same category
The word for "cat" is feminine in German (die Katze) and masculine in Spanish (el gato).
3
a
poetry : being a stressed and usually additional final syllable after the final complete foot (see foot entry 1 sense 4)
a masculine ending
b
of rhyme : having a stressed final syllable
4
of a musical cadence : ending on an accented beat
The masculine cadence resolves on the first beat of the measure and is much more conclusive than the feminine.William Russo
masculinely adverb

compare feminine entry 1

masculine

2 of 2

noun

plural masculines
1
grammar
a
: a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the masculine gender (see masculine entry 1 sense 2)
b
: the masculine (see masculine entry 1 sense 2) gender
2
a
: the embodiment or conception of an idealized masculine nature
the power of the divine masculine
b
: the set of qualities, features, etc. traditionally associated with men
Like many of Campion's films, "The Power of the Dog" dramatizes a clash between the masculine and the feminine—Phil's own sense of manliness is bound up with emotional remoteness and animosity toward softness.Jordan Kisner

compare feminine entry 2

Examples of masculine in a Sentence

Adjective The living room is decorated in a more masculine style than the bedroom. “He” is a pronoun of the masculine gender. The masculine form of the Spanish adjective “linda” is “lindo.” Noun The masculine of the Spanish adjective “linda” is “lindo.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Most embroidery pattern books were written by men, and in rejecting these patterns (and sentiments), women exerted power and emotional authority, while treading the line between masculine authoritativeness and female passivity. Pragya Agarwal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024 The masculine performer stands in the background playing a pan flute. Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024 Men like Dugan, both real and fictional, were always free to express anger, because anger was masculine. Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 This body, with its supermodel proportions, that had always stood out, that had never been masculine enough for the world? Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 In a nod to the 1960s mod era and the burgeoning equal rights movement, the collection was primarily stripped of feminine tropes and leaned into masculine codes and graphic simplicity. Roxanne Robinson, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The Chinese label subverting masculine stereotypes for a ‘gender-fluid generation’ Zhang’s appointment as Vogue China’s editorial director in 2021 came as something of a surprise. Christy Choi, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 Wide-Leg Pants + Oversized Blazer Edward Berthelot/Getty Images Inject some femininity into a traditionally masculine silhouette with this oversized combo. Jake Smith, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2024 Ralph Lauren Polo Black Eau de Toilette This cologne for men was created as a way to give a bold fragrance for men, but has since transformed into more masculine notes of citrus with fruit but a little edgier than Blue Atlas cologne. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024
Noun
Its distinctly punk packaging leans masculine, confounding health food packaging’s reputation of marketing towards its traditional audience of health nuts and women. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Ilaria is a true artist and her pieces meld the worlds of masculine and feminine in the most effortless way. Erika Veurink, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 In Native American society, two-spirit refers to someone considered to have both a masculine and a feminine spirit. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024 For example, the Sapphire archetype reaches depicts enslaved women as aggressive, masculine, and unpleasant who presented in domineering ways on the field and at home. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 3 Jan. 2024 While rosettes, metallics, and the color red are clearly going nowhere, a smattering of attendees also seemed particularly interested in mixing and matching the masculine and the feminine. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2024 Here, Biggers asks the viewer to examine the connection between the masculine and feminine, durable and delicate, eternal and ephemeral; while using his art testament to embrace the balance of life, regardless of its uncertainty. Okla Jones, Essence, 20 Oct. 2023 Issa López Night Country pushes aside Pizzolatto’s trademark masculine brooding for a female-forward story that personalizes and internalizes the anthology’s typically convoluted plotting in a way that’s refreshing and frequently potent. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Jan. 2024 Perhaps the path forward in automotive is neither feminine (the blank slate) nor masculine (all guns blazing), but something in the middle that blends the practical and poetic, ponytail or not. Nicole Gull McElroy, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'masculine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English masculin, from Latin masculinus, from masculus, noun, male, diminutive of mas male

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of masculine was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near masculine

Cite this Entry

“Masculine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masculine. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

masculine

1 of 2 adjective
mas·​cu·​line ˈmas-kyə-lən How to pronounce masculine (audio)
1
: of the male sex
2
: characteristic of or belonging to men : manly
a masculine voice
3
: of, relating to, or making up the class of words that ordinarily includes most of those referring to males
a masculine noun
masculine gender
masculinity noun

masculine

2 of 2 noun
1
: a word or form of the masculine gender
2
: the masculine gender

Medical Definition

masculine

adjective
mas·​cu·​line ˈmas-kyə-lən How to pronounce masculine (audio)
1
2
: having the qualities distinctive of or appropriate to a male
3
: having a mannish bearing or quality

More from Merriam-Webster on masculine

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