Mens

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to male individuals collectively; a form used historically or in certain contexts to denote men; relating to masculinity or qualities associated with males
2. Denoting the adult male part of humanity considered as a group; an archaic or variant plural form used to signify males; pertaining to characteristics traditionally linked to men
3. Indicating males in general or as a category; a linguistic or dated plural form found in some texts; connected with traits or roles typically ascribed to men

Etymology: "Mens" is the plural of "men," the ordinary English plural of "man." Its odd-looking form has a real history: "men" itself is the mutated plural of "man," which reached English from Old English as "mann" with a plural "menn," where the vowel changed under the influence of the plural ending. That is why "men" differs from "man" by a vowel rather than by an added "s," a pattern called umlaut, and "mens" is simply that same plural with an "s" added. Because "mens" is a noun, it appears mainly in older or specialist contexts, such as the dated sense of a group of males, or in texts where the plural is written out as a category. Its use is less common than "men," so it often reads as deliberate or old-fashioned rather than standard.

Synonyms: men

Antonyms: women