manhood

noun

man·hood | \ ˈman-ˌhu̇d

Definition of manhood

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 & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about manhood

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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

The description of the locale is somewhat flat, but Ólafsdóttir excels in exploring what bedevils Jónas and the novel’s other men: a conception of manhood that prevents them from articulating emotion or understanding power except as violence. — Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 7 May 2018 After school, Stanfield wrote and directed skits on his aunt's camcorder, violent burlesques about a thug named Lil' Biggie trying to prove his manhood with a gun. — Amy Nicholson, chicagotribune.com, "Is Hollywood ready for the brilliant weirdness of Lakeith Stanfield?," 3 July 2018 Perhaps unsurprisingly, in the days since Crews shared his Senate testimony, a number of his peers have taken to the internet to discredit his experiences—and his manhood. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "Terry Crews and the Discomfort of Masculine Anxiety," 29 June 2018 My pre-teen self just shuddered at the thought of JT’s manhood. — refinery29.com, "Justin Timberlake Doesn’t Have BDE But He Is “Gifted,” A Former Co-Star Says," 30 June 2018 The goal of the wrestling work, said the artist, was to loosen definitions of manhood. — Meredith Mendelsohn, New York Times, "Can an Artist Shift the Gun Debate?," 22 June 2018 Trump’s abject failure at Christian manhood can no longer be persuasively extenuated. — Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, "ChurchToo and Mike Pence’s Crisis of Faith," 21 June 2018 There’s something about becoming comfortable in the cages that have been built for us, whether that’s a rigid understanding of masculinity/manhood, or a rigid understanding of sexuality. — Brandon T. Harden, Philly.com, "Darnell L. Moore's 'No Ashes in the Fire': Coming of age queer, male, and black," 6 June 2018 In November, one mistake is enough to ignite a rant challenging a guard's manhood and self-worth. — Sam Mellinger, kansascity, "KU Jayhawks coach Bill Self and riding the lion: 'He feels like a failure if he doesn't' | The Kansas City Star," 30 Mar. 2018

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