virility
Other forms: virilities
Virility is a fancy word for "manliness." You could demonstrate your virility by lifting a minivan, but why be a show-off? Your virility also means that you'll need a minivan to cart around your many children.
The Latin virīlitās, from vir, or "a man," is the base for the word virility. You can also use virility to refer to "macho" qualities that might seem to reflect outdated notions of masculinity. French feminist author Simone de Beauvoir once wrote, "No one is more arrogant toward women, more aggressive or scornful, than the man who is anxious about his virility.”
-
the masculine property of being capable of copulation and procreation
-
the trait of being manly; having the characteristics of an adult malesynonyms: manfulness, manlinesstype of:masculinitythe trait of behaving in ways considered typical for men
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing virility
After relocating to Austin, Texas, a Canadian teenager attempts to make sense of American culture.
Martin, a former sailor from a working-class background, educates himself and tries to become a successful writer after falling in love with a wealthy university student.
Journalist Malcolm Gladwell explores how people process information in order to make snap decisions.