as in masculinity
the set of qualities traditionally considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
studio executives wondered if the actor possessed the manliness expected in an action hero
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Recent Examples of manliness
Being the naive newbie in Idaho does suit Cale, with his British lilt and fey enthusiasm for the manliness of the West.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
Studying Latin taught me that contemporary anxieties about manliness and cosmopolitanism date back thousands of years.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
But just like the men who understood changing a diaper in the 1990s didn't take away their manliness, so can participating in their spouse's emotional needs.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Unsubstantiated claims about the distracting nature of women, the perils of feminine qualities, and the inherent manliness of war hardly provide a solid foundation on which to construct policy.
—Megan H. MacKenzie, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
See All Example Sentences for manliness
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
Studying Latin taught me that contemporary anxieties about manliness and cosmopolitanism date back thousands of years.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
But just like the men who understood changing a diaper in the 1990s didn't take away their manliness, so can participating in their spouse's emotional needs.
—Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Unsubstantiated claims about the distracting nature of women, the perils of feminine qualities, and the inherent manliness of war hardly provide a solid foundation on which to construct policy.
—Megan H. MacKenzie, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
See All Example Sentences for manliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manliness
masculinity
Noun
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As Richard Reeves and other scholars of modern masculinity have made clear, men are not doing well.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
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Writer-director Walter Thompson-Hernández sets this mesmerizing, lyrical portrait of masculinity and tenderness against the backdrop of a busy LAX flight path.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manliness. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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