masculine

UK: /ˈmæskjʊlɪn/ US: /ˈmæskjəlɪn/ ,(mas′kyə lin)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

mas•cu•line /ˈmæskyəlɪn/   adj. 

1. of or relating to a man or men.
2. having qualities traditionally thought of as belonging to men, as strength.
3. Grammar of, relating to, or being the grammatical gender that has among its members most nouns referring to males, as well as other nouns, as Spanish dedo "finger'' or German Bleistift "pencil.''
4. Sex and Gender (of a woman) mannish.

n. 

5. Grammar [uncountable; singular* usually the + ~] the masculine gender in grammar.
6. Grammar [countable] a word or other form in or marking the masculine gender.

mas•cu•lin•i•ty /ˌmæskyəˈlɪnɪti/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

mas•cu•line  (mas′kyə lin), adj. 

1. pertaining to or characteristic of a man or men:
   masculine attire.
2. having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness.
3. Grammar noting or pertaining to the gender of Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish, Hebrew, etc., which has among its members most nouns referring to males, as well as other nouns, as Spanish dedo, "finger,'' German Bleistift, "pencil.''
4. Sex and Gender (of a woman) mannish.

n. [Gram.]

5. Grammar the masculine gender.
6. Grammar a noun or other element in or marking that gender.

• Latin masculīnus, equivalent. to mascul(us) male (mās male + -culus -cule¹) + -īnus -ine¹
• Middle English masculin 1300–50

mas′cu•line•ly, adv. 
mas′cu•lin′i•ty, mas′cu•line•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 2. manly. See male. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

masculine / ˈmæskjʊlɪn/ adjective

1. possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man; manly
2. unwomanly
3. denoting a gender of nouns, occurring in many inflected languages, that includes all kinds of referents as well as some male animate referents

Etymology: 14th Century: via French from Latin masculīnus, from masculus male, from mās a male

ˈmasculinely adverb

ˌmascuˈlinity, ˈmasculineness noun