What does masculinity mean?
Masculinity refers to the qualities, behaviours, identities, and social expectations traditionally associated with being male. Historically, dictionaries often described it as the physical and mental characteristics considered typical of men, including strength, courage, and independence. Contemporary usage is more often critical and analytical: masculinity may be understood as a set of expectations produced and maintained by culture, or as part of a person's experience and understanding of their male identity. Discussions commonly distinguish healthy or personally chosen aspects of masculinity from restrictive ideals associated with dominance, emotional suppression, or aggression. The term is frequently used in education, literature, sociology, media criticism, and everyday conversation. It is broader and more analytical than “manliness,” which usually emphasizes particular virtues associated with traditional male conduct, and it should not be treated as a simple synonym for biological sex.
nounThe qualities, characteristics, or social ideals traditionally associated with men and masculinity. In contemporary usage, the term may refer either to these cultural expectations or to a person's identification as male.
- The qualities, behaviour, or cultural ideals traditionally regarded as characteristically male.
- A person's identification or experience as male, especially in discussions of gender identity.
"The film examines how ideals of masculinity can shape men's behaviour and relationships."
"Contemporary scholarship increasingly treats masculinity as something performed and shaped by social expectations rather than fixed by biology alone."
"He questioned the narrow definition of masculinity that had excluded tenderness and vulnerability from his childhood."
The plural is used when referring to different forms or interpretations of masculinity or to masculinity across different cultures, groups, or individuals.
"The study compares several masculinities found in different sporting communities."
Masculinity began as a scholarly label for the grammatical category of the masculine, but it now carries debates about identity, power, and expectation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does masculinity come from?
The word comes through French from Latin masculinitas, a noun formed from masculinus, “male” or “masculine.” Its ultimate root is the Latin word mas, meaning “male” and, by extension, the world of men. English initially used the term in a broadly descriptive and grammatical sense, but it later came to include the social qualities and ideals associated with men.
Related word forms
How masculinity is actually used
In older writing, the term commonly denoted a collection of traits considered proper or admirable in men. In present-day usage, especially in gender studies and popular culture, it is often used critically to examine restrictive or harmful expectations; “toxic masculinity” is a common but informal expression.
Easily confused with masculinity
“Masculinity” names the wider set of qualities, identities, or expectations associated with being male, whereas “masculine” is primarily an adjective describing someone or something regarded as having traditionally male characteristics.
“Manliness” focuses more narrowly on qualities such as courage, strength, and independence, while “masculinity” can include the broader social and cultural construction of maleness.