as in masculinity
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
many cultures value virility as a sign of power
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 virility
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
Beards were not signs of virility but of disorder.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virility
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
Beards were not signs of virility but of disorder.
—Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for virility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virility
masculinity
Noun
-
An undercurrent of anxiety and repression lies below 2charm’s image of confident masculinity, and that shame is what manages to keep their sometimes standard hyperpop interesting.—
Reanna Cruz,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
-
This acknowledgment of reader subjectivity is in the spirit of Sloan’s work, in contrast to the traditional critic’s standpoint of an objectivity that has never really existed, that often only serves to obscure whiteness, masculinity, and wealth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Virility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virility. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
