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 all his talk about strength, his approach leans more toward virality than virility with social media as his primary accelerant.
—
Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Contrasting rumors of Hitler’s virility could have actually been very welcome, and such were never confirmed nor denied.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Jens snorts angrily; the frost has deprived him of his virility and transformed him into a helpless old man.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for virility
Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Contrasting rumors of Hitler’s virility could have actually been very welcome, and such were never confirmed nor denied.
—Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Jens snorts angrily; the frost has deprived him of his virility and transformed him into a helpless old man.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for virility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virility
masculinity
Noun
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There’s tenderness in the story’s example that masculinity and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
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Their live performances in Sydney’s drag scene parodied hyper-masculinity and soon moved into artist-run spaces with installations and video works.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Virility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virility. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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