masculine

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masculine

  • /ˈmæskjʊlɪn/ UK
  • /ˈmæskjələn/ UK
  • /ˈmæskjələn/ US
  • /ˈmæskjələn/ Australia

Where it comes from

From Middle English masculyne, masculyn, from Old French masculin, from Latin masculīnus, diminutive of masculus (“male, manly”), itself a diminutive of mās (“male”). Displaced native Old English werlīċ (literally “manly”).

adjective more masculine · most masculine · m. · m

  1. Of or pertaining to the male gender.
  2. Of or pertaining to the male sex; biologically male, not female.

    Similar: male · Opposite: female, womanly

  3. Belonging to males; typically used by males. “John”, “Paul”, and “Jake” are masculine names.
  4. Having the qualities stereotypically associated with men: virile, aggressive, not effeminate; manly. That lady, after her husband's death, held the reins with a masculine energy.

    Similar: manly, virile · Opposite: effeminate, emasculated, epicene, unmanly

  5. of a noun Being of the masculine class or grammatical gender, and inflected in that manner. The noun Student is masculine in German.

    Similar: male

  6. of another part of speech Being inflected in agreement with a masculine noun. German uses the masculine form of the definite article, der, with Student.

    Similar: male

  7. of any word Having the vowel harmony of a back vowel.
  8. Following or ending on a stressed syllable. Masculine caesura, masculine catalexis, masculine ending, masculine rhyme.

Similar: macho, manly, masc, masculine, virile, Of a woman, butch, mannish, tomboyish, unfeminine, unladylike · Opposite: androgynous, feminine

noun masculines · m. · m

  1. The masculine gender. The masculine functions as the negative term in the opposition, i.e. when the gender is not defined, the masculine is used.
  2. A word of the masculine gender. As to the class to which the masculines of the strong declension belong, we repeat that […]
  3. That which is masculine. These forces would also seem to reflect the gender distinction that can be made with respect to the divine, the feminine associated with the divine as immanent within the finite and the masculine with the divine transcendence and the infinite.
  4. obsolete, possibly, rare A man. I think women, at least those who do their own work, would live very simply in that respect, if there were none of the masculines to feed.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: manlike, manful, virile, mannish, macho, manly, male, butch, stressed, boy, men, male-dominated, rugged, installment, vigorous, potent

Translations

Every language

adj having male qualities, not feminine or effeminate

Españolmasculino, varonil, viril, macho, hombruno
한국어남자 같은 namja gateun
日本語男性的な danseiteki na
中文男性的 nánxìng de, 男子氣的 /男子气的 nánzǐqì de, 男子漢的 /男子汉的 nánzǐhàn de, man (mān)
हिन्दीपौरुषेय pauruṣey, मर्दाना mardānā
Portuguêsmacho, homem
Françaismasculin
Deutschmännlich, maskulin
Italianomasculino
Ελληνικάανδρικός andrikós, αρσενικός arsenikós, ανδροπρεπής androprepís
Românămasculin, bărbătesc, viril
Русскиймужско́й mužskój, мужеподо́бный mužepodóbnyj, маскули́нный maskulínnyj, му́жественный múžestvennyj

adj of the male sex; biologically male, not female; manly

Españolmasculino
한국어남자다운 namjadaun
日本語男らしい otokorashii, 男の otoko no
中文男的 nán de, 男性的 nánxìng de
हिन्दीपौरुषेय pauruṣey, मर्द mard
Portuguêsmacho
Françaismasculin
Deutschmännlich
Italianomascolino
Ελληνικάαρσενικός arsenikós
Românămasculin
Русскиймужско́й mužskój
العربيةذَكَرِيّ ḏakariyy

adj belonging to males; appropriated to, or used by, males

Españolmasculino
한국어남자의 namjaui
日本語男性の dansei no
中文男的 nán de, 男性的 nánxìng de
हिन्दीपौरुषेय pauruṣey
Portuguêsmasculino
Françaismasculin
Italianomaschile
Ελληνικάανδρικός andrikós
Românămasculin
Русскиймужско́й mužskój

adj grammar: being of the masculine class, being inflected in the masculine manner

Españolmasculino
한국어남성 namseong
日本語男性 dansei
中文陽性的 /阳性的 yángxìng de
हिन्दीपुल्लिंग pulliṅg
Portuguêsmasculino
Françaismasculin
Deutschmännlich, maskulin
Italianomaschile
Ελληνικάαρσενικός arsenikós
Românămasculin
Русскиймужско́й mužskój
Tiếng Việtgiống đực
العربيةمُذَكَّر muḏakkar
עבריתזכר zakhar

noun (grammar) the masculine gender

한국어남성 namseong
日本語男性 dansei
中文陽性 /阳性 yángxìng
हिन्दीपुल्लिंग pulliṅg, मुज़क्कर muzakkar
Portuguêsmasculino
Françaismasculin
DeutschMaskulinum, maskulines Genus, männliches Geschlecht
Italianomaschile, genere maschile
Ελληνικάαρσενικό γένος arsenikó génos, αρσενικό arsenikó
Românăgen masculin, masculin
Русскиймужско́й род mužskój rod
Tiếng Việtgiống đực
العربيةمُذَكَّر muḏakkar
עבריתזָכָר zakhár

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Cite this
MLA

"masculine." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/masculine. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

masculine. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/masculine

Chicago

"masculine." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/masculine.

BibTeX
@misc{masculine_2026,
  title = {masculine},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/masculine},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}