androgen

noun

an·​dro·​gen ˈan-drə-jən 

: a male sex hormone (such as testosterone)

androgenic

ˌan-drə-ˈje-nik 

adjective

Examples of androgen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is because some cancer cells may still respond to low androgen levels. —Matthew Wosnitzer, Verywell Health, 18 Apr. 2025

Both elevated androgen levels and insulin resistance can lead to acne, excess facial and body hair, weight gain and difficulty losing weight - and, consequently, low self-esteem and negative body image, both of which are significant predictors for mental health issues. —Eva Epker, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

The drug is intended for patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have received one round of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs), a class of drugs used in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2025

Both visceral and subcutaneous fats also contain the enzyme aromatase, which converts androgens like testosterone into estrogen. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

andro- + -gen, after estrogen

Note: The term was apparently introduced in a short article "The Nomenclature of 'Male Hormones'" by the American Medical Society's Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, published in the Journal of the American Medical Society, vol. 107, no. 3 (July 18, 1936), p. 212.

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing androgen

• androgen deprivation therapy
• androgen insensitivity syndrome
• anti-androgen

Kids Definition

androgen

noun

an·​dro·​gen ˈan-drə-jən 

: a male sex hormone (as testosterone)

Medical Definition

androgen

noun

an·​dro·​gen ˈan-drə-jən 

: a male sex hormone (as testosterone)

androgenic

ˌan-drə-ˈjen-ik 

adjective