manhood

noun

man·​hood ˈman-ˌhu̇d 

1

: the condition of being a human being

2

: qualities associated with men : manliness

3

: the condition of being an adult male as distinguished from a child or female

4

: adult males : men

5

: penis

Synonyms of manhood

• masculinity

Examples of manhood in a Sentence

He took the comment as a challenge to his manhood.

He grew from boyhood to manhood in a small southern town.

the manhood of a nation

Recent Examples on the Web

Why beef culture and agriculture matter in Texas Some of Talarico's critics seemed to be ripping on his manhood, referencing his support for the LGBTQ+ community, along with the purportedly unmanly notion of having, at one time, eschewed meat. —Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 29 May 2026

The fact that [Ruben] is infertile and what that means to his manhood, and his ability to be masculine and reproduce and have a son. —Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026

Ending the slump did not come without some pain, though, after Raleigh took a foul tip near his manhood. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026

Diego Luna got his feet wet as a director with the promising 2011 debut, Abel, a slight but disarming tragicomedy that took imaginative shots at Mexican patriarchy and manhood. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing manhood

• prove one's manhood

Rhymes for manhood

• allgood
• basswood
• beechwood
• bellwood
• birchwood
• boxwood
• boyhood
• brushwood
• childhood
• cordwood
• dogwood
• driftwood

Kids Definition

manhood

noun

man·​hood ˈman-ˌhu̇d 

1

: courage, manliness

2

: the condition of being an adult male

3

: adult human males

the manhood of a nation