What does "masculine" mean?
The masculine gender.
Masculine
/ˈmæskjʊlɪn/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The masculine gender.
- Grammar: masculine is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: andric, animate, bull, butch.
- Useful contrasts: girly, womanly, androgynous.
- Usage evidence: The radio announcer had a masculine voice.
How to use "masculine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "masculine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "masculine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "masculine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "masculine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "masculine" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "andric" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "masculine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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 gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to males or to objects classified as male wordnet
- 3 A word of the masculine gender.
"As to the class to which the masculines of the strong declension belong, we repeat that […]"
- 4 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."
- 5 A man. obsolete, possibly, rare
"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."
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to the male gender.
- 2 Of or pertaining to the male sex; biologically male, not female.
- 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."
- 5 Of, pertaining or belonging to the male grammatical gender, in languages that have gender distinctions.; Being of the masculine class or grammatical gender, and inflected in that manner.
"The noun Student is masculine in German."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Of, pertaining or belonging to the male grammatical gender, in languages that have gender distinctions.; Being inflected in agreement with a masculine noun.
"German uses the masculine form of the definite article, der, with Student."
- 7 Having the vowel harmony of a back vowel.
- 8 Following or ending on a stressed syllable.
"Masculine caesura, masculine catalexis, masculine ending, masculine rhyme."
Adjective
- 1 associated with men and not with women wordnet
- 2 male (of grammatical gender) wordnet
- 3 (music or poetry) ending on an accented beat or syllable wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The radio announcer had a masculine voice."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "masculine"?
Common synonyms include: andric, animate, bull, butch, common gender, feminine.
How do you use "masculine" in a sentence?
The radio announcer had a masculine voice.
How do you pronounce "masculine"?
Pronounced /ˈmæskjʊlɪn/.
Etymology
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”).