masculinity

noun

mas·​cu·​lin·​i·​ty ˌma-skyə-ˈli-nə-tē 

: the quality or nature of the male sex : the quality, state, or degree of being masculine or manly

challenging traditional notions about masculinity and femininity

… a style which alternates between a polished grace and blunt masculinity.

—Stuart Keate

The man controlling his environment is today the prevailing American image of masculinity.

—Susan Faludi

Synonyms

• maleness
• manhood
• manliness
• virility
• machismo

Examples of masculinity in a Sentence

some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity

Recent Examples on the Web

Mac's deeply closeted, Catholic-guilty homosexuality had been treated as a joke throughout the show's run, with the joke never truly being about Mac being gay, but about how his desperate repression had twisted him into a caricature of grasping masculinity. —Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025

These authors, alongside psychologists, activists and public health experts, are reframing the narrative around masculinity and emphasizing the need for emotional literacy and awareness. —Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2025

Over the course of three-and-a-half hours (staged with two intermissions), the play explores themes of mental illness, addiction, domestic violence, toxic masculinity, homosexuality and more. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2025

And yet, consider the importance of tallness to masculinity over the last few centuries. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 28 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing masculinity

• hyper-masculinity

Rhymes for masculinity

• alkalinity
• consanguinity
• crystallinity
• femininity
• affinity
• divinity
• infinity
• salinity
• vicinity
• virginity

Medical Definition

masculinity

noun

mas·​cu·​lin·​i·​ty ˌmas-kyə-ˈlin-ət-ē 

plural masculinities

: the quality, state, or degree of being masculine

measurement of masculinity or femininity

—Psychological Abstracts