masculinity

noun

mas·​cu·​lin·​i·​ty ˌma-skyə-ˈli-nə-tē How to pronounce masculinity (audio)
: 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

Examples of masculinity in a Sentence

some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity
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.
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 See All Example Sentences for masculinity

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of masculinity was in 1613

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Cite this Entry

“Masculinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masculinity. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Medical Definition

masculinity

noun
mas·​cu·​lin·​i·​ty ˌmas-kyə-ˈlin-ət-ē How to pronounce masculinity (audio)
plural masculinities
: the quality, state, or degree of being masculine
measurement of masculinity or femininityPsychological Abstracts

More from Merriam-Webster on masculinity

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