male

noun \ ˈmāl \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

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

Cruz leads among male (51-40%) and white (59-34%) voters, as well as those over the age of 65 (50-43%).

— andrew rafferty, NBC News, "Poll: Cruz, O'Rourke locked in tight race in Texas," 18 Apr. 2018
Staff looked on as Calaya, a 15-year-old western lowland gorilla, gave birth to an adorable male named Moke [Mo-KEY] at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, DC over the weekend.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "Critically Endangered Baby Gorilla Born at The National Zoo," 17 Apr. 2018
Of South Carolina’s nine all-male, maximum-security prisons, Lee Correctional is the largest.

— amy b wang, Washington Post, "7 inmates dead, 17 injured after hours of rioting at South Carolina prison," 16 Apr. 2018
Those guidelines state that athletes assigned male at birth must stay below certain testosterone levels for at least 12 months before their first competition and throughout the period of eligibility to compete.

— emanuella grinberg, CNN, "This is not the first time transgender athletes have run in the Boston Marathon. Here's why it still matters.," 15 Apr. 2018
Two males were discovered dead at the scene, Los Angeles police Capt.

— CBS News, "2 dead in L.A. music studio fire," 14 Apr. 2018
Details trickle out: three males, all wearing black, and riding in a tan Buick.

— jessica anderson, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore Police mobile metro unit hits the streets; is credited with helping reduce crime," 12 Apr. 2018
The accord, which is up for a judge’s approval Tuesday, covers almost 500 women and people of color in an October class action alleging the company paid them less than their peers and didn’t promote them as frequently as males, whites and Asians.

— Bloomberg.com, "Women Harassed at Uber May Finally Get a Payday. But How Much?," 10 Apr. 2018
The suspect as described a white male, 30 to 40 years-old, with blond hair, a full short beard, and was last seen wearing a light blue sweater, and dark blue jeans.

— karen pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Man breaks into Tosa elementary school during spring break," 10 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

male Synonyms

Synonyms

buck, dude, fella, fellow, gent, gentleman, guy, hombre, 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

Another male colleague also allegedly touched her inappropriately on the House floor.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "4 Female Lawmakers Allege Sexual Harassment by Colleagues in Congress," 3 Nov. 2017
At this year’s event in April, shirtless male acrobats cartwheeled and stood on each other’s shoulders while financiers sipped cocktails and mingled.

— kirsten grind, WSJ, "The Morningstar Mirage," 28 Oct. 2017
When the girls grew drowsy they were hoisted back onto the bikes, each sandwiched between two male riders.

— The Economist, "Bridal pathsDemand for wives in China endangers women who live on its borders," 4 Nov. 2017
Dawes claims Spacey had invited him and a male friend over to watch Chinatown — a film directed by Roman Polanski.

— alexia fernandez, EW.com, "New Kevin Spacey allegations include groping a journalist, showing porn to teen," 4 Nov. 2017
Largely untold before now is that some female lawmakers themselves say they have been harassed by male colleagues.

— kansascity, "Female lawmakers allege harassment by colleagues in U.S. Congress | The Kansas City Star," 3 Nov. 2017
Widespread conscription meant that any military-age male German deported from England would soon return in a uniform to fight, with the reverse also being true.

— andrea pitzer, Smithsonian, "Concentration Camps Existed Long Before Auschwitz," 3 Nov. 2017
The Houston Police Department is still searching for the hit-and-run driver in a wreck last month that left a male motorcyclist dead.

— jasmine davis, Houston Chronicle, "Investigation continues into fatal northeast Houston hit-and-run," 2 Nov. 2017
This is not the first time Rep. Jayapal has been disrespected by a male colleague in Washington.

— araceli cruz, Teen Vogue, "Representative Pramila Jayapal Pushes Back Against Represenative Darrell Issa for Calling Her Naive," 27 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of male

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

male Synonyms

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

Male

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

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

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

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

Definition of male

Examples of male in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of male

male Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Biology Terms

male

Definition of male

maleness

Examples of male in a Sentence

Recent Examples of male from the Web

First Known Use of male

male Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Biology Terms

Male

Definition of Male

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Related Phrases

MALE Defined for English Language Learners

male

Definition of male for English Language Learners

male

Definition of male for English Language Learners

MALE Defined for Kids

male

Definition of male for Students

male

Definition of male for Students

Medical Dictionary

male

medical Definition of male

male

medical Definition of male

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