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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Recent Examples of masculinity
Bisexual men have faced additional stigma, studies have found, but researchers have said that might be changing for young men as the definition of masculinity has broadened, and as young people increasingly think about sexuality on a spectrum.
—
Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The apple of snooty mom Victoria's (Parker Posey) eye, who works the family finance business with his dad Timothy (Jason Isaacs), party-loving pool cretin Saxon is this season's poster boy for misguided masculinity.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
However, the court did not see breasts as inhibiting John’s masculinity and the couple went home without facing any charges.
—Sarah Barringer, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
Their romances tend to be defined by toxic masculinity, indulging in fantasies of brooding, and sometimes violent men being drawn to unassuming, often overlooked women.
—Josh Bell, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Claire Cain Miller, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
The apple of snooty mom Victoria's (Parker Posey) eye, who works the family finance business with his dad Timothy (Jason Isaacs), party-loving pool cretin Saxon is this season's poster boy for misguided masculinity.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025
However, the court did not see breasts as inhibiting John’s masculinity and the couple went home without facing any charges.
—Sarah Barringer, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 2025
Their romances tend to be defined by toxic masculinity, indulging in fantasies of brooding, and sometimes violent men being drawn to unassuming, often overlooked women.
—Josh Bell, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masculinity
Noun
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But there’s nothing truly masculine about these brutish low-lifes who oppose everything that makes for responsible manhood.—
The Editors,
National Review,
3 Mar. 2025
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The myth of the cowboy has played a significant part in shaping an ideal of Western manhood, but in a time of growing tensions between traditional values and modern viewpoints, there is a challenge to that classic representations of masculinity.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This revelation reframes much of the earlier novel, from his paranoia to his discomfort in stiff formal clothing to his father’s obsession with manliness.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2024
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But there are challenges for shifting diets toward less beef, from misinformation about soy and protein, to social stigmas connecting beef-eating with manliness.—
Julia Simon,
NPR,
15 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Tom Cruise, that avatar of all-American virility, opened the evening with an address that reaffirmed the rightness of the proceedings, much as Peck had in 1968.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
22 Jan. 2025
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Managers no longer have two sartorial choices — polyester sportswear to denote virility and dynamism and suit and tie to convey sombre authority — but have branched out into turtlenecks, quarter-zips, and merino wool sweaters, the wardrobe of the TEDx talk.—
Rory Smith,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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By comparison, even peers like Iggy or Lou Reed were willing to fall back on tough-guy machismo when addressing women, in ways that Johansen had absolutely no use for.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
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The kiss and the ensuing fallout prompted a moment of reckoning in Spain, where progress in gender equality — women’s soccer in particular — have run up against a culture of machismo.—
José Bautista,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to masculinity
Cite this Entry
“Masculinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masculinity. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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