male

play

noun \ ˈmāl \

Definition of male

1 a :a male person :a man or a boy

b :an individual of the sex that is typically capable of producing small, usually motile gametes (such as sperm or spermatozoa) which fertilize the eggs of a female

2 :a plant having stamens but no pistils

See male defined for English-language learners

Examples of male in a Sentence

She attended a school where there were more males than females.
The male of this species assists the female in feeding the young.

Recent Examples of male from the Web

Everybody robs banks—young, old, fat, short, green, purple, male, female.’…

— jeff maysh, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Cop Who Became a Robber," 22 Aug. 2017
The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5'9-5'10 in height, weighing 250-260 pounds.

— prescotte stokes iii, AL.com, "Smiling robbery suspect sought in Mobile," 14 Aug. 2017
Reese Witherspoon—a producer, Oscar-winning actress, and the founder of lifestyle brand Draper James—revealed how she still isn’t taken as seriously as her male counterparts.

— emily jane fox, vanityfair.com, "Inside Vanity Fair’s First Founders Fair with Reese Witherspoon, Sasheer Zamata, Tory Burch, and More," 11 Aug. 2017
Moretz also talked about another male costar who attempted to sabotage her by spreading false rumors about her around a film set.

— andrea park, Glamour, "Chloë Grace Moretz Says a Male Co-Star Once Told Her She Was 'Too Big' to Date," 8 Aug. 2017
The embryos were created from eggs donated by healthy women, which were artificially inseminated with sperm from males carrying the mutation.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Edit Genes of 167 Embryos, the First Such Procedure on Humans in the U.S.," 2 Aug. 2017
The American white man does not really want to have autonomous Negro male anywhere near him.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "James Baldwin: How to Cool It," 2 Aug. 2017
According to an AP review of prosecutors’ reports, the victims of the political unrest have overwhelmingly been male with only six women killed.

— christine armario, The Seattle Times, "AP Count: Death toll in Venezuela civil unrest hits 100," 27 July 2017
Three males assaulted a man and robbed him of property.

— Washington Post, "Alexandria and Arlington crime report," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'male.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of male

Middle English, from Anglo-French masle, male, adjective & noun, from Latin masculus — more at masculine

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

male Synonyms

Synonyms

bastard, bloke [chiefly British], buck, cat, chap [chiefly British], chappie [British], dude, fella, fellow, galoot [slang], gent, gentleman, guy, hombre, jack, joe, joker, lad, man

Related Words

master, mister, sir; buddy, buster

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

male

adjective

Definition of male

1 a (1) :of, relating to, or being the sex that typically has the capacity to produce relatively small, usually motile gametes which fertilize the eggs of a female

(2) :having or producing only stamens or staminate flowers

a male holly

b :characteristic of boys, men, or the male sex

a deep male voice

c :made up of usually adult male individuals :consisting of males

a male choir

d :designed for or typically used by boys or men

a male cologne

male contraceptives

e :engaged in or exercised by boys or men

A social code that taught women deference to male power in return for protection was upended …
—Jane E. Schultz

f :having a quality (such as vigor or boldness) sometimes associated with the male sex

2 :masculine 3a

3 :designed with a projecting part for fitting into a corresponding female part

a male hose coupling

—

maleness

play \-nəs\ noun

See male defined for English-language learners

See male defined for kids

Examples of male in a Sentence

There were more male than female students.
Most extension cords have a male plug on one end and a female plug on the other.

Recent Examples of male from the Web

Police said Nakita Ashley Davis, 27, of Baltimore; Stacy Ernest Jones Jr., 28, of Gwynn Oak; Kraig Kaeon-Alain Lynch, 27, of Hollywood, Fla.; and a male juvenile, 13, were all charged with drug possession.

— andrew michaels, Howard County Times, "Attempted shoplifting at Ellicott City Walmart leads to drug bust," 17 July 2017
These women are changing the genre Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas, led by Maricela Martinez, stands out in a largely male profession.

— Los Angeles Magazine, "An Inside Look at One of LA’s Only All-Female Mariachi Bands," 17 July 2017
Before graduating Brown University in 2009, Bernstein won the Hermann Trophy as the best male university soccer player in the United States for his defensive play.

— marvin glassman, Jewish Journal, "Former Maccabiah soccer player helps Miami FC win Spring Championship," 12 July 2017
Surveillance video captured the white male coin maker walking across the factory floor with a noose in hand.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "US Mint Employee Suspended After Leaving Noose On Black Colleague’s Desk," 11 July 2017
Legalising abortion was the defining defeat of the old order—censorious, hypocritical, male—in post-war France.

— The Economist, "LiberatedObituary: Simone Veil died on June 30th," 5 July 2017
Ransaw Smith, who is African-American, talked about white flight toward western Howard County and explained the challenges facing her three children in a school system with few black male teachers as role models.

— libby solomon, Columbia Flier, "The Longest Table sparks dialogue at dinner party of hundreds," 30 June 2017
The condition is also more common among male children.

— lindsey lanquist, SELF, "This 14.4-Pound Newborn Is Huge and Adorable," 29 June 2017
While the big ones are the same—smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and physical inactivity— some factors are more dangerous for women (for instance, those who smoke have a 25% higher risk of developing heart disease compared to male smokers).

— karen asp, Woman's Day, "5 Life-Saving Tips All Women Need to Know About Heart Health," 28 June 2017

First Known Use of male

14th century

male Synonyms

Synonyms

masculine, manlike, manly, mannish, man-size (or man-sized), virile

Antonyms

unmanly, unmasculine

Related Words

hairy-chested, hypermasculine, macho, ultramasculine; boyish, hoydenish, tomboyish; Amazonian, butch

Near Antonyms

metrosexual, unmacho; effeminate, girlish, sissified, sissy; feminine, womanish, womanlike, womanly; emasculated, impotent, weakened; androgynous, neuter

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

Male

play

geographical name Ma·le \ ˈmä-lē \

Definition of Male

atoll in the Indian Ocean that is the chief island of the Maldives and contains the nation's capital population 103,693

MALE Defined for English Language Learners

male

play

noun

Definition of male for English Language Learners

: a man or a boy : a male person
: a male animal
: a plant that does not produce seed or fruit : a male plant

male

adjective

Definition of male for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the sex that cannot produce young or lay eggs
: characteristic of boys or men
: having members who are all boys or men

MALE Defined for Kids

male

play

noun \ ˈmāl \

Definition of male for Students

1 :a man or a boy

2 :a person or animal that produces germ cells (as sperm) that fertilize the eggs of a female

3 :a plant with stamens but no pistil

male

adjective

Definition of male for Students

1 :of, relating to, or being the sex that fertilizes the eggs of a female

2 :bearing stamens but no pistil

a male flower

3 :of or characteristic of men or boys

a male singing voice

Medical Dictionary

male

play

noun \ ˈmā(ə)l \

medical Definition of male

:an individual that produces small usually motile gametes (as sperm or spermatozoa) which fertilize the eggs of a female

male

adjective

medical Definition of male

1 :of, relating to, or being the sex that produces gametes which fertilize the eggs of female

2 :designed for fitting into a corresponding hollow part

Learn More about male

See words that rhyme with male Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for male Spanish Central: Translation of male Nglish: Translation of male for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of male for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about male

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male

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Male

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male

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male

Definition of male for English Language Learners

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male

medical Definition of male

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