as in maleness
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of masculinity
The Boyfriend will be an entirely standalone story, with new characters based around themes of masculinity, sources told us.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 June 2026
And yet such naked projection felt somehow hopeful, as though simply being able to conceive of such evolved avatars of masculinity might help power them into existence.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
American Men dives into the lives of four men and explores how each of them constructs their relationship to masculinity.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
For young men feeling dejected by the public conversation about toxic masculinity, Tate’s celebrations of manhood were galvanizing, and his mocking assaults on feminism felt bracingly irreverent.
—Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 June 2026
And yet such naked projection felt somehow hopeful, as though simply being able to conceive of such evolved avatars of masculinity might help power them into existence.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
American Men dives into the lives of four men and explores how each of them constructs their relationship to masculinity.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
For young men feeling dejected by the public conversation about toxic masculinity, Tate’s celebrations of manhood were galvanizing, and his mocking assaults on feminism felt bracingly irreverent.
—Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masculinity
Noun
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The men handling their maleness was interesting.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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Fact is Bruce Springsteen has forever been a man of the people, a man in search of his own definition of his maleness and his humanity.—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Many figures within evangelicalism have promoted an aggressive, domineering, even abusive view of manhood—affixing to it, as Du Mez argues, the label biblical.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
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For young men feeling dejected by the public conversation about toxic masculinity, Tate’s celebrations of manhood were galvanizing, and his mocking assaults on feminism felt bracingly irreverent.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Noun
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The intoxicating pull of the manosphere – the hyper-online community led by men who tout misogynistic definitions of manliness – has given Glass a boisterous brigade of rivals.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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The fashion for bushy beards, and beards’ association with authentic manliness, has followed this same trajectory from irony to earnestness during its various resurgences since the early 19th century.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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It is also said to restore virility and regrow hair.—
Phoebe Quinton,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
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The able-bodied white male stood for the virility of the New Deal nation-state.—
John P. Murphy,
ARTnews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Culturally, hyper-machismo has oscillated from cool to lame to ironically cool and back again for decades.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
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Bouillon’s Anthony is a man’s man, rough around the eyes with unapologetic machismo as his default personality.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masculinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masculinity. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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