# masculine

/ˈmæskjəɫən/ (US) · /mˈæskjʊlˌɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/masculine
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. typical of men

adjective · CEFR B2

having qualities that people traditionally think of as belonging to men, such as strength or a deep voice.

For teachers: having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with men, often in a stereotypical or cultural sense.

- The room was decorated in a very masculine style with dark leather and wood.
- The marketing campaign relied on traditionally masculine imagery to appeal to a demographic that valued ruggedness and independence.

### 2. grammar

adjective · CEFR B2 · Technical

belonging to a group of words that are treated as male in some languages, like French or German.

For teachers: relating to the grammatical gender typically associated with male beings, though often applied to inanimate objects in gendered languages.

- In Spanish, the word for 'book' is masculine, so you use 'el' instead of 'la'.
- Students often struggle to memorise which German nouns are masculine and which are neuter, as the logic is not always intuitive.

Usage: In linguistics, this refers to a formal category rather than biological sex.

### 3. the masculine gender

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

the male gender or a word that belongs to the male category in grammar.

For teachers: the masculine grammatical gender or a specific linguistic form belonging to that category.

- In this language, the adjective changes its ending when it follows the masculine.
- The professor explained how the masculine is often used as the default gender in many Romance languages when referring to mixed groups.

Usage: Usually functions as an uncountable noun when referring to the category, or countable when referring to a specific word.

## Examples

- He has a very masculine voice.
- The room was decorated in a masculine style with dark wood furniture and leather chairs.
- Sociologists often study how different cultures define masculine traits, noting that what one society considers manly might be viewed quite differently in another part of the world.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.