as in maleness
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of masculinity
That’s because rhetoric that reinforces a single idea of masculinity sets unattainable standards for how men should act in the workplace.
—
Colleen Tolan, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2025
To dismiss them outright risks backsliding into a stricter, more limited understanding of masculinity.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Gilbert began working as a journalist, and quickly established herself as a student of masculinity who had an excess of feminine charm.
—Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Less reassuring is the series’s vision of masculinity, which casts far too many men as possible despoilers and ravishers.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Colleen Tolan, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2025
To dismiss them outright risks backsliding into a stricter, more limited understanding of masculinity.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Gilbert began working as a journalist, and quickly established herself as a student of masculinity who had an excess of feminine charm.
—Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Less reassuring is the series’s vision of masculinity, which casts far too many men as possible despoilers and ravishers.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masculinity
Noun
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His political identity has become fused with the idea that manhood and success are defined by family formation, financial dominance, and control of the cultural narrative.—
Sophia A. Nelson,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Some guys are finding solace in extreme physical activity with expletive-laden barking from a drill sergeant to reclaim their manhood.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But just like the men who understood changing a diaper in the 1990s didn't take away their manliness, so can participating in their spouse's emotional needs.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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There's a true earthy manliness that's really f---ing raw and awesome.—
Yolanda Machado,
EW.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Beards emerged as legible emblems of male virility and authority just as women began demanding the vote.—
Book Marks
August 1,
Literary Hub,
1 Aug. 2025
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This emphasis on women’s bodies and behaviors is especially conspicuous amid a broader cultural preoccupation with male virility.—
Lucy Tu,
The Atlantic,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Gudsen's fractured identity—swaggering machismo versus devoted family man—might suggest dissociative identity disorder, but Lehane resists reducing him to a clinical label.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
15 Aug. 2025
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But for readers, the brutality of Girlie’s work chronicles is offset by her personality—she’s got machismo, smarts, swagger.—
Sarah Rose Etter,
The Atlantic,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Masculinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masculinity. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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