masculine
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or characteristic of a man or men.
masculine attire.
-
having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness.
- Synonyms:
- manly
-
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.”
-
(of a woman) mannish.
noun
-
the masculine gender.
-
a noun or other element in or marking that gender.
adjective
-
possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man; manly
-
unwomanly
-
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
-
Related Words
See male.
Other Word Forms
-
hypermasculineadjective
-
hypermasculinelyadverb
-
hypermasculinenessnoun
-
hypermasculinitynoun
-
masculinelyadverb
-
masculinenessnoun
-
masculinitynoun
-
nonmasculineadjective
-
nonmasculinelyadverb
-
nonmasculinenessnoun
-
nonmasculinitynoun
-
pseudomasculineadjective
-
supermasculineadjective
-
supermasculinitynoun
-
ultramasculineadjective
-
unmasculineadjective
-
unmasculinelyadverb
Etymology
Origin of masculine
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English masculin, from Latin masculīnus, equivalent to mascul(us) “male” ( mās “male” + -culus -cule 1 ) + -īnus -ine 1
Explanation
If something’s masculine, it’s related to men. When you hear a masculine voice outside greeting your neighbor, you know it’s your dad and not your mom. Masculine can describe people or things that have qualities often associated with men. If someone has a masculine appearance, the person is probably tall and strong. If your new jacket has masculine tailoring, that means it’s cut like a man’s jacket. Masculine can also refer to words. In many languages, words — especially nouns — are given a gender. If you’ve studied French or Spanish, you know you need to figure out which article to use with a masculine noun.
Vocabulary lists containing masculine
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.
As the Royal Pop is on a lanyard, it manages to evoke both a traditional masculine pocket watch and a fashion accessory that can be hung from a handbag.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
These are suggestions shared online by so-called "masculinity influencers": men who promote what they say are ways to become more masculine.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Hegseth flippantly employed villainous colloquialism – “they are toast and they know it,” “we play for keeps,” and “President Trump got the last laugh” – delivered with a combative tone that communicated masculine self-assurance.
From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026
And that took letting go of whatever this masculine image was that was blocking me.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
Until a couple of centuries ago, they served as an all-purpose, neutral pronoun—singular and plural, masculine and feminine.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
