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

• machismo
• macho
• manhood
• manliness
• virility

Examples of masculinity in a Sentence

some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity

Recent Examples on the Web

The video was circulated online by social media accounts, many of whom appear to be European and American right-wing profiles that are typically critical of Macron, who used the incident to question his relationship with his wife or to attack his masculinity. —Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025

Walz's remarks about masculinity came during an appearance on California Governor Gavin Newsom's podcast This is Gavin Newsom in March. —Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025

Jews tend to teach their children to be wary of fascism from a very young age, with its nationalist bombast, its cult of masculinity, its contempt for pluralism and its relentless, bludgeoning lies. —Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 21 May 2025

Skinner, who created the series with elements drawn from his own life, is a particularly sharp satirist of the relentless policing of masculinity by other men. —Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 May 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