having or relating to a gender identity that corresponds to a complex, variable set of social and cultural roles, traits, and behaviors assigned to people of the sex that typically produces sperm cells.
Biology. of, relating to, or being an animal or human of the sex or sexual phase that normally produces sperm cells during reproduction.
Botany. designating or relating to a plant or its reproductive structure producing or containing microspores.
Botany. (of seed plants) staminate.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a male person; masculine.
a male voice.
comprising male people.
a male choir.
Machinery. made to fit into a corresponding open or recessed part.
a male plug.
a male person.
Biology. an animal, plant, or plant structure that normally produces sperm cells as part of the process of reproduction.
of, relating to, or designating the sex producing gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)
of, relating to, or characteristic of a man; masculine
for or composed of men or boys
a male choir
(of gametes) capable of fertilizing an egg cell in sexual reproduction
(of reproductive organs, such as a testis or stamen) capable of producing male gametes
(of flowers) bearing stamens but lacking a functional pistil
electronics mechanical engineering having a projecting part or parts that fit into a female counterpart
a male plug
In organisms that reproduce sexually, being the gamete that is smaller and more motile than the other corresponding gamete of the same species (the female gamete). The sperm cells of higher animals and plants are male gametes.
Possessing or being a structure that produces only male gametes. The testicles of humans are male reproductive organs. Male flowers possess only stamens and no carpels.
See man. Male, masculine, virile are adjectives that describe men and boys or attributes and conduct culturally ascribed to them. Male, which is applied to plants and animals as well as to human beings, is often used as a biological or physiological descriptor, classifying individuals on the basis of their potential or actual ability to inseminate in bisexual reproduction. It contrasts with female in all such uses: his oldest male relative; the male parts of the flower. Masculine refers essentially to qualities, characteristics, or behaviors deemed by a culture or society to be especially appropriate to or ideally associated with men and boys. In American and Western European culture, these have traditionally included features such as strength, forthrightness, and courage: a firm, masculine handshake; a masculine impatience at indecision. Virile implies a vigor and muscularity associated with mature manhood and often carries a suggestion of sexual or procreative potency: his virile good looks; a swaggering, virile walk. See also manly.
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French ma(s)le, from Latin masculus; see masculine
From Latin; see origin at mal-
A male is a guy, a dude, a boy, or a man. A male animal is not female. Male life forms are the opposite of females in many ways. The biggest way is that males can’t have babies. Male is a manly word. Rarr! You won’t find women on an all-male rugby team. If the doctor says, “It’s a boy,” you’ve got yourself a male baby. Males exist in plants and other animals — the male is the gamete-producing sex that fertilizes the female. Things can be male, too, like adapters that have male parts that fit into female parts. Most male animals are bigger than females, but not all. The biggest blue whales are female.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not to worry, a kindly male neighbor assures Adam — her maternal urges will kick right in after the babies are born.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Phillips, described as a white male, was reported missing on Sept. 10.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
The three attackers are all thought to be in their late teens or early 20s and one of them was a black male with a scar under his left eyebrow.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The company had built an audience with an associated trading and sports-focused podcast, but interest took off with the Sweeney ads, which were squarely targeted toward a key demographic of young, male, sports-loving bettors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Recent scientific evidence, such as DNA testing, confirms that Jefferson or some male in his family fathered the children of Sally Hemings.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Male fertility experts around the world say they have seen an increase in the number of men requesting semen analysis and expressing concerns about their future fertility.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Male heartthrobs are increasingly fluid, mirroring a new demographic reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
Male bees appeared first during warm periods in April, while females emerged several days later.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
"Male humpback whales are remarkable singers" that "produce long, complex songs," Castro explained.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Male teachers whose faces were unfamiliar to Ben helped Red up from the cement.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
There are several forms of hair loss, the most common being androgenetic alopecia, or male- or female-pattern hair loss.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 25, 2026
Most of the relevant statues were written 75 years ago for a male-, union- and manufacturing-dominated workforce that no longer exists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
The dsx primary RNA thus produces female-specific mRNA and male- specific mRNA, both of which encode functional Dsx proteins, DsxF and DsxM, respectively.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Dr James Turner, from the Francis Crick Institute in London, has identified 25,000 research papers published in the past five years, around 25,000 papers that required male- or female-only mice.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2021
The nucleus of the tube-cell has meanwhile passed into the tube, as does also the generative nucleus which divides to form two male- or sperm-cells.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1 by Various
The addresses were located in neighboring office buildings in Malé, with the Aeroflot office sandwiched between them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Malé, on the other hand, feels like a different world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
But Malé is already pressed up hard against the limits of human habitation.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2024
Malé, the capital and most populous city of the Maldives.Credit...
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
Malé contains 150 houses, all small; it is a place of no trade.
From Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries by William Griffith
He loved the rudimentary males he found embedded in the females of one particular species—precisely the kind of weird transitional form his theory of evolution would depend upon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
“When it came to males, he could be a little, well, aggressive,” Gina Davis, a Pasadena schoolteacher, said in a phone interview.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
She said the males eventually left her and she eventually got up and left the car park.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
She said she was approached by two males who appeared to be East Timorese.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Rumpy might be a miserable specimen compared to the other males, but he was still a large animal with lethal-looking fangs.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
