masculine

[ mas-kyuh-lin ]
See synonyms for: masculinemasculinesmasculinity on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. pertaining to or characteristic of a man or men: masculine attire.

  2. having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness.

  1. Grammar. noting or pertaining to the gender of Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish, Hebrew, etc., which has among its members most nouns referring to males, as well as other nouns, as Spanish dedo, “finger,” German Bleistift, “pencil.”

  2. (of a woman) mannish.

nounGrammar.
  1. the masculine gender.

  2. a noun or other element in or marking that gender.

Origin of masculine

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English masculin, from Latin masculīnus, equivalent to mascul(us) “male” (mās “male” + -culus -cule1) + -īnus -ine1

synonym study For masculine

2. See male.

Other words for masculine

Other words from masculine

  • mas·cu·line·ly, adverb
  • mas·cu·lin·i·ty, mas·cu·line·ness, noun
  • hy·per·mas·cu·line, adjective
  • hy·per·mas·cu·line·ly, adverb
  • hy·per·mas·cu·line·ness, noun
  • hy·per·mas·cu·lin·i·ty, noun
  • non·mas·cu·line, adjective
  • non·mas·cu·line·ly, adverb
  • non·mas·cu·line·ness, noun
  • non·mas·cu·lin·i·ty, noun
  • pseu·do·mas·cu·line, adjective
  • su·per·mas·cu·line, adjective
  • su·per·mas·cu·lin·i·ty, noun
  • ul·tra·mas·cu·line, adjective
  • un·mas·cu·line, adjective
  • un·mas·cu·line·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with masculine

Words Nearby masculine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use masculine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for masculine

masculine

/ (ˈmæskjʊlɪn) /


adjective
  1. possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man; manly

  2. unwomanly

  1. grammar

    • denoting a gender of nouns, occurring in many inflected languages, that includes all kinds of referents as well as some male animate referents

    • (as noun): German ``Weg'' is a masculine

Origin of masculine

1
C14: via French from Latin masculīnus, from masculus male, from mās a male

Derived forms of masculine

  • masculinely, adverb
  • masculinity or rare masculineness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012