What does manfulness mean?
Manfulness is a rare, chiefly literary noun for the qualities traditionally associated with being manly, especially courage, strength of character, and resolve. In careful modern prose it normally presents those qualities as admirable: a leader may display quiet manfulness during a crisis, or a critic may praise the plain manfulness of an honest public statement. The word can also carry the somewhat dated implication of masculine character as a category, reflecting an older convention that linked moral courage and physical daring with manhood. That association does not make the word ungrammatical or unmodern, but its old-fashioned register may make it sound formal, traditional, or occasionally gender-marked today. Manfulness is more distinctive than manliness because it tends to emphasize fortitude and character rather than masculinity as such. It remains useful when an author wants to focus on brave, self-possessed conduct rather than make a broad statement about men or women.
nounThe quality of being manly, especially courageous, strong-minded, or resolute. The word can also refer more generally to masculine character or conduct.
- Courage, strength of character, and resolution regarded as manly qualities.
- Masculine character or conduct, particularly in older or literary usage.
"The captain's quiet manfulness steadied the crew during the storm."
"The captain's calm manfulness steadied the crew during the storm."
"The critic praised the plain manfulness of the minister's refusal to conceal the truth."
The plural is grammatically possible but rarely used; in practice, manfulness is usually treated as an uncountable abstract noun.
"The text contrasts the manfulnesses of the hero and his more cautious brother."
In older English, the idea of being “manly” bundled courage and resolve with gender, a reminder that language often records the values of its age.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of manfulness
Manfulness is an English formation built on manful, a Middle English adjective meaning “manly” or “brave,” with the suffix -ness. The suffix descends from Old English and became widely productive in Middle English for forming abstract nouns from adjectives. The Germanic root man also underlies related English words such as manhood, while manful and manfully continue the older adjectival sense of manly character or courage.
How manfulness is actually used
Rare and chiefly literary in modern English, especially in British prose but also attested in American writing. Its elevated or traditional tone may make it sound formal or gender-marked today.
Easily confused with manfulness
Manfulness tends to emphasize courage, fortitude, and resolution, whereas manliness more directly refers to masculine character or qualities associated with being a man.