What does masculinisation mean?
Masculinisation is the process of making someone or something more masculine, or of giving something masculine characteristics. In everyday and social-scientific contexts, it often describes the ways in which particular activities, identities, styles, or forms of authority become associated with men and masculine ideals. For example, writers may discuss the masculinisation of sport, politics, or popular culture when examining how these spheres are organised around male perspectives. In medical and biological contexts, the term can refer to the development or appearance of typically male physical characteristics, especially in a female organism. The word is related to masculinity but differs from it: masculinity names a quality or identity, whereas masculinisation names a process or transformation. The term is especially useful when examining how gender associations are produced and reproduced rather than treating them as fixed or natural.
nounThe process of making someone or something more masculine, or of giving something traditionally coded as feminine masculine characteristics. In social and cultural analysis, it can also refer to the association of particular activities, identities, or forms of power with men or masculinity.
- The process of making a person, object, practice, or representation more masculine.
- In gender studies and sociology, the cultural association of activities, identities, or forms of power with men and masculine ideals.
- In medicine and biology, the development or appearance of typically male physical characteristics, especially in a female organism.
"The documentary examines how sport has contributed to the masculinisation of public life."
"Researchers warned that the advertisement reinforced a wider masculinisation of public life."
"The condition can cause partial masculinisation of the external genitalia."
The plural is grammatically standard but uncommon, since the word is normally used for an abstract process or pattern.
"The authors compare different forms of institutional masculinisation across the region."
Masculinisation names a transformation, not a personality type: what a culture calls “manly” can itself be remade.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of masculinisation
English masculinisation is formed from the stem masculin- and the French-derived suffix -isation, which indicates the process of making or rendering something masculine. The stem comes through French masculin from Latin masculinus, which developed from masculus, a diminutive of Latin mas, meaning “male.” Related words include masculine, masculinity, and masculinist; the spelling masculinization reflects the widespread use of z in American English.
Related word forms
How masculinisation is actually used
Masculinisation is the standard British spelling, while masculinization is also widely used in American English. The word is most common in academic, medical, and social-scientific writing; in discussions of gender, it often has a critical or analytical connotation rather than being a neutral description.
Easily confused with masculinisation
Masculinisation is a process of making or describing something as masculine, whereas masculinity is a quality, identity, or set of characteristics associated with being male.