masculinity
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Explanation
Masculinity is the quality of manliness — habits and traits that society considers to be appropriate for a man. While certain jobs and professions have traditionally been associated with masculinity, like the military and firefighting, for example, these associations have begun to change as more women have pursued those types of careers. Some typical traits of masculinity include physical strength, a muscular body, and facial hair. The Latin root of masculinity is masculinus, "male," which comes from masculus, or "worthy of a male."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The show explores middle-age desperation, loneliness and, notably, masculinity and male friendship.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
“We would get together and have these very long conversations,” says director Rebecca Miller, who interviewed American cinema’s great poet of tortured masculinity over five years.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Most of the questions and answers were about training and diet, the preparation required to make a film brimming with sheer, unadulterated masculinity.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
It seems that Gyllenhaal isn’t experiencing a crisis of masculinity so much as a crisis of vulnerability — which is fitting, as the two are inextricably linked.
From Salon • May 27, 2026
Somehow the hunting process has to do with masculinity, but I don’t quite know how.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
