masculinity
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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anti-masculinitynoun
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hypermasculinitynoun
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nonmasculinitynoun
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pseudo-masculinitynoun
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supermasculinitynoun
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
He worries that Breck could be exposed to “this false sense we all have of what masculinity is. Masculinity is really important, and we should cherish and encourage the best parts of it.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Masculinity becomes play material, a performance to bend and break.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2024
Masculinity has been a term used through history but not deeply interrogated, as this example of masculinity-turned-toxic demonstrates.
From Scientific American • Aug. 3, 2023
Masculinity had a lot to do with it.
From Slate • Jun. 30, 2023
“Shaggy like Chewbacca? Broken Roman nose? Barbarian eyes? Masculinity wrapped in cricket whites?”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
