masculine
gb/mˈæskjələn/ us/mˈæskjələn/
B1
English
~ 7500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
having traditionally male qualities
Looking or acting in a way that people usually connect with men, like having a deep voice, strong body, or a male style of clothes or behavior.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is/looks/sounds [masculine]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"He is a masculine"* to talk about a man. This is incorrect; 'masculine' here is an adjective, so you should say *"He is very masculine"* or *"He is a masculine-looking man"*. Another mistake is to confuse 'masculine' with 'male'; 'male' usually refers to sex (male body, male animal), while 'masculine' often describes appearance, style, or behavior.
Synonyms
manly (Often more emotional or approving; can sound a bit old-fashioned or informal compared with the more neutral 'masculine'.)
|
male (Focuses more on biological sex; less about style or behavior, and sounds more clinical in this sense.)
Antonyms
feminine (Describes qualities and appearance traditionally associated with women, the usual contrast with 'masculine' in this sense.)
Collocations
very masculine
|strongly masculine
|masculine look
|masculine voice
|masculine style
|traditionally masculine
Themes
appearance
|gender
|personality
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He has a very masculine voice that carries across the room.
- The new perfume has a fresh, masculine smell.
- She prefers a more masculine style of clothing, with simple lines and dark colors.
- The actor was chosen for his tall, masculine build.
- The room had a deliberately masculine design, with leather chairs and dark wood.
Learner examples
- His face looks very masculine.
- This jacket has a masculine style.
- The singer has a deep, masculine voice.
- The room feels very masculine with all the dark colors.
adjective
B2
property
2
relating to men or masculinity
Connected with men or with ideas about what men should be like in a culture, such as roles, rules, and identity.
Usage pattern:
[masculine] [identity/role/norm/ideal]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the more concrete look/behavior sense. When you talk about big ideas like 'identity', 'norms', or 'roles', 'masculine' is usually about social and cultural ideas of being a man, not just about looking strong or having a deep voice.
Synonyms
male (Can be used in similar social or cultural discussions, but sounds a bit broader and more biological; 'masculine' focuses more on the gender role or identity.)
|
masculine-identified (Used especially in gender and LGBTQ+ contexts to stress that a person identifies with masculinity; more specialized than general 'masculine'.)
Antonyms
feminine (Refers to roles, norms, and identities socially associated with women, often contrasted with 'masculine' in gender discussions.)
Collocations
masculine identity
|masculine norms
|masculine role
|masculine ideal
|masculine values
|masculine stereotype
Themes
gender
|society
|culture
|psychology
|relationships
|communication
Examples
- Many boys feel pressure to live up to a narrow, traditional masculine ideal.
- The book explores how masculine norms affect men's mental health.
- He is trying to redefine what it means to have a healthy masculine identity.
- Some jobs are still seen as more masculine than others in many cultures.
- The film challenges typical masculine and feminine roles in relationships.
Learner examples
- In this culture, sports are often seen as very masculine.
- The class talked about different masculine and feminine roles.
- He questions the usual masculine ideas he learned as a child.
- They study how masculine norms change over time.
adjective
technical
B2
property
3
having masculine grammatical gender
Used in grammar to say that a noun, adjective, or article is in the masculine gender group in languages like French, Spanish, or Arabic.
Usage pattern:
[masculine] [noun/form/article/adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners often say *'male noun'* instead of *'masculine noun'* when talking about grammar. In grammar, the correct word is 'masculine', not 'male'. They may also think that all masculine nouns refer to men, which is not true (for example, Spanish 'el problema' is masculine but does not mean a man).
Synonyms
male (Sometimes used informally by learners or teachers, but in proper grammar terminology 'masculine' is the correct and more precise term.)
Antonyms
feminine (Names the contrasting grammatical gender used for certain other nouns and forms.)
Collocations
masculine noun
|masculine gender
|masculine article
|masculine form
|masculine singular
|masculine adjective
Themes
language
|grammar
|education
|communication
Examples
- In Spanish, 'libro' is a masculine noun, so it uses the article 'el'.
- French adjectives change form depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
- The teacher asked the students to list five masculine nouns from the text.
- In this language, the masculine singular form is often used for mixed groups.
- The chart shows all the masculine and feminine forms of the definite article.
Learner examples
- In French, 'chien' is a masculine noun.
- You must learn if a noun is masculine or feminine.
- This is the masculine form of the word.
- The masculine article in Spanish is 'el'.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
4
masculine grammatical gender category
The grammar group named 'masculine' that some languages use for many of their words and endings.
Usage pattern:
the [masculine] (in [language])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix up the adjective and noun uses, saying things like *'the masculine noun and feminine'* when they mean *'the masculine and the feminine'* (both nouns). Remember: *'a masculine noun'* (adjective) vs. *'the masculine'* (noun, the gender category).
Synonyms
masculine gender (A longer, slightly more explicit phrase for the same grammatical category.)
Antonyms
feminine (The usual contrasting grammatical gender category to 'masculine'.)
Collocations
the masculine
|masculine and feminine
|masculine gender
|use the masculine
|marked as masculine
Themes
language
|grammar
|education
|communication
Examples
- In many textbooks, the masculine is introduced before the feminine and neuter.
- In Spanish, the masculine is often used as the default for mixed groups.
- Some modern grammars avoid using the masculine as a generic form.
- The table shows how adjectives agree with the masculine and the feminine.
- Learners sometimes confuse the masculine with the neuter in German.
Learner examples
- In this language, the masculine is used for many nouns.
- The masculine is different from the feminine.
- You must know when to use the masculine in Spanish.
- The teacher explained how the masculine works in French.
Grammar
Dictionary form
masculine
IPA
GB/mˈæskjələn/
US/mˈæskjələn/
Syllables & stress
mas - cu - line (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mas)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: masculine
Noun
- Base: masculine
- Plural: masculines
Word family
Expressions
masculine of center
1/mˈæskjələn əv sˈɛntɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
gender identity mostly masculine
Describes a person whose gender identity is mainly masculine, but who may not identify fully as a man or as only male.
Examples
- They describe themself as masculine of center rather than simply male.
- The workshop welcomes people who are feminine, masculine of center, or anywhere in between.
- Some nonbinary people use the term 'masculine of center' to talk about how they experience their gender.