as in masculinity
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
many cultures value virility as a sign of power
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Recent Examples of virility
For someone like Eli, then, projecting movie-star-like virility and vigor was an exercise in social advancement, in distancing himself from his babushka forebears’ grim reality.
—
David Kamp, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
Beards were not signs of virility but of disorder.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Mao Zedong is said to have suggested that anyone who couldn’t tolerate chiles couldn’t be a revolutionary; all over the world, and for centuries, spiciness has been something to conquer, and chiles have symbolized strength, bravery, national pride, and virility.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025
Historically, mustaches have symbolized virility and toughness.
—Claire Murashima, NPR, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for virility
David Kamp, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
Beards were not signs of virility but of disorder.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Mao Zedong is said to have suggested that anyone who couldn’t tolerate chiles couldn’t be a revolutionary; all over the world, and for centuries, spiciness has been something to conquer, and chiles have symbolized strength, bravery, national pride, and virility.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025
Historically, mustaches have symbolized virility and toughness.
—Claire Murashima, NPR, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for virility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virility
masculinity
Noun
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From the colorful, floppy hairstyles of Korean boy band Stray Kids, or the non-binary wardrobes of trailblazing singers like G-Dragon of Big Bang and Seonghwa of ATEEZ, K-pop’s male idols have long fostered diverse expressions of masculinity.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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And Motel Destino is a very Brazilian expression of poisonous masculinity.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Virility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virility. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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