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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of masculinity
Michael presented a different take on masculinity.
—
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Stereotypes about Arab men are easy to list thanks to decades of pop-culture propaganda that has othered them to the West and Middle Eastern films that often reflect more traditional views of masculinity.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Brendon's character was beloved for his ability to transform insecurity, irony, and vulnerability into a new model of nerdy masculinity.
—Marzia Nicolini, Vanity Fair, 21 Mar. 2026
Younger girls ratcheted up their femininity, while older boys ratcheted up their masculinity.
—Adam Stanaland, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
Stereotypes about Arab men are easy to list thanks to decades of pop-culture propaganda that has othered them to the West and Middle Eastern films that often reflect more traditional views of masculinity.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Brendon's character was beloved for his ability to transform insecurity, irony, and vulnerability into a new model of nerdy masculinity.
—Marzia Nicolini, Vanity Fair, 21 Mar. 2026
Younger girls ratcheted up their femininity, while older boys ratcheted up their masculinity.
—Adam Stanaland, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masculinity
Noun
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The men handling their maleness was interesting.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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Fact is Bruce Springsteen has forever been a man of the people, a man in search of his own definition of his maleness and his humanity.—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These pivotal memories of Clark and Floyd’s buddy romance amount to another darkly comic portrait of a nontoxic male friendship — complete with nontraditional definitions of manhood that place meaningful friendships over monolithic strength — all built on a foundation of lies and insecurities.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
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Playing boxer Jake LaMotta, Robert De Niro gave all of his mind and body to this portrait of a man destroyed by his anger, his jealousies, his pride, his retrograde notions of manhood.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The fashion for bushy beards, and beards’ association with authentic manliness, has followed this same trajectory from irony to earnestness during its various resurgences since the early 19th century.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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Suck it up, and embrace the steely, Vader-esque manliness of this Ultra-Tough cooler from RTIC.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Peptides marketed for growth, virility and other effects are hormone mimickers, trying to do the job the body's natural hormones already perform.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Mar. 2026
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And the working women clearly recognize the virility of him.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Yet maybe, as the cartoonish machismo of Trumpism proves its hollowness, America’s latent resentment can be channeled to better ends.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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Co-directors Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig mix cinema vérité, Super 8 footage, and stylized scenes into a cocktail where machismo and queerness come together.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masculinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masculinity. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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