masculine

1 of 2

adjective

mas·​cu·​line ˈma-skyə-lən 

1

a

: considered to be characteristic of men

stereotypically masculine traits/characteristics

masculine pride/bravado

Cady stands as a direct challenge to Bowden's masculine dominance—their first encounter in the film, for example, is when Cady shoves his hand into Bowden's car and turns off the ignition.

—Jamelle Bouie

: marked by or having qualities, features, etc. traditionally associated with men

a masculine voice

This one's a man's watch. And though it's built for rugged, masculine pursuits, the simple face and elegant strap lend it a suit-worthy elegance, too.

—advertisement in GQ

The masculine equivalent of haute couture in suits features jackets with soft shoulders, large sleeves, neat fronts and small-notched lapels …

—Ariel Wizman

b

: of, relating to, or being a man or boy

(dated) … the masculine [=male] inhabitants of the village …

—Thomas Hardy

The butler these days is seen as a masculine version of Heloise, Miss Manners and Julia Child rolled into one.

—Liz Pogue

also : of, relating to, or intended for men or boys

A hundred years later, the finery of French court dressing had given way to the simplicity of the English squire, whose coarse tweeds and woolens set the tone for a new definition of masculine attire.

—Frances Rogers

2

grammar : of, relating to, or constituting the gender (see gender entry 1 sense 1a) that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to males as well as other words and forms either systematically or arbitrarily in the same category

The word for "cat" is feminine in German (die Katze) and masculine in Spanish (el gato).

3

a

poetry : being a stressed and usually additional final syllable after the final complete foot (see foot entry 1 sense 4)

a masculine ending

b

of rhyme : having a stressed final syllable

4

of a musical cadence : ending on an accented beat

The masculine cadence resolves on the first beat of the measure and is much more conclusive than the feminine.

—William Russo

masculinely adverb

compare feminine entry 1

masculine

2 of 2

noun

plural masculines

1

grammar

a

: a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the masculine gender (see masculine entry 1 sense 2)

b

: the masculine (see masculine entry 1 sense 2) gender

2

a

: the embodiment or conception of an idealized masculine nature

the power of the divine masculine

b

: the set of qualities, features, etc. traditionally associated with men

Like many of Campion's films, "The Power of the Dog" dramatizes a clash between the masculine and the feminine—Phil's own sense of manliness is bound up with emotional remoteness and animosity toward softness.

—Jordan Kisner

compare feminine entry 2

Synonyms

Adjective

• male
• manlike
• manly
• mannish
• man-size
• man-sized
• virile

Examples of masculine in a Sentence

Adjective

The living room is decorated in a more masculine style than the bedroom.

“He” is a pronoun of the masculine gender.

The masculine form of the Spanish adjective “linda” is “lindo.”

Noun

The masculine of the Spanish adjective “linda” is “lindo.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Impressionist artist depicted masculine figures ranging from workers to members of his family and inner circle, and the concentration of these paintings came as a revelation to many guests. —Joelle Diderich, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024

Others have pointed to poor messaging toward women on the part of Republicans, pointing to overly masculine messaging from figures such as Elon Musk. —Julia Manchester, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024

Noun

Four years later, when Trump was running against another white man, majorities of Republicans agreed that both society has become too soft and feminine and that society punishes men just for acting like men, tapping into a particular brand of male/masculine grievance. —Kelly Dittmar, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

The suffragist in this postcard is marked as a spinster; her masculine features, hat, and clothing tell us as much. —Natalie Kinkade, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English masculin, from Latin masculinus, from masculus, noun, male, diminutive of mas male

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing masculine

• hyper-masculine

Kids Definition

masculine

1 of 2 adjective

mas·​cu·​line ˈmas-kyə-lən 

1

: of the male sex

2

: characteristic of or belonging to men : manly

a masculine voice

3

: of, relating to, or making up the class of words that ordinarily includes most of those referring to males

a masculine noun

masculine gender

masculinity

ˌmas-kyə-ˈlin-ət-ē 

noun

masculine

2 of 2 noun

1

: a word or form of the masculine gender

2

: the masculine gender

Medical Definition

masculine

adjective

mas·​cu·​line ˈmas-kyə-lən 

1

: male sense 1

2

: having the qualities distinctive of or appropriate to a male

3

: having a mannish bearing or quality