Definition of manlinessnext
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of manliness Suck it up, and embrace the steely, Vader-esque manliness of this Ultra-Tough cooler from RTIC. — Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 10 Dec. 2025 Today’s Republican Party is big on manliness and masculine virtues. — Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 20 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 See All Example Sentences for manliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manliness
masculinity
Noun
  • Featuring collaborations with Lana Del Rey and Turnpike Troubadours, the new EP finds the country artist exploring everything from technology to masculinity.
    — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026
  • From men wearing pink to push back against the pressures of toxic masculinity to women pushing back against unrealistic body standards, pink has become a color of defiant empathy.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Manliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manliness. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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