manliness

noun

man·​li·​ness ˈman-lē-nəs How to pronounce manliness (audio)
: the quality or state of being manly (as by having qualities such as strength or virility that are traditionally associated with a man)
They'd been trained to identify emotional repression as the essence of manliness. Men who broke down, or cried, or admitted to feeling fear, were sissies, weaklings, failures. Not men.Pat Barker
… the angular manliness of her gestures …John Colapinto

Examples of manliness in a Sentence

studio executives wondered if the actor possessed the manliness expected in an action hero
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This revelation reframes much of the earlier novel, from his paranoia to his discomfort in stiff formal clothing to his father’s obsession with manliness. Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024 But there are challenges for shifting diets toward less beef, from misinformation about soy and protein, to social stigmas connecting beef-eating with manliness. Julia Simon, NPR, 15 Sep. 2024 By doing so, those conservatives are seemingly hoping to intertwine Trump with the rough-and-tumble mythology that the country’s youngest president himself played up — a paragon of manliness who fought in wars, hunted big game and tamed the wilderness. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 16 July 2024 Ruiz presidential campaign The road to parity Mexico is known internationally for its machismo, a cultural emphasis put on stereotypical manliness and control. Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for manliness 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English manlynesse, from manli, manly manly entry 2 + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of manliness was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near manliness

Cite this Entry

“Manliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manliness. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on manliness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!