Virilis

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterizing qualities associated with manliness or masculinity, often reflecting strength or robust vitality
2. Denoting traits or behaviors traditionally attributed to adult males, including courage and assertiveness
3. Relating to the male sex in terms of physical attributes, behavioral norms, and societal roles typically regarded as masculine

Etymology: "Virilis" is a Latin adjective meaning "manly" or "of a man," formed from "vir" ("man") with the suffix "-ilis," which marks something as belonging to or suited to a thing. The root "vir" is the same one behind "virtus," which originally meant manly courage or excellence before it came to mean moral virtue in general. The Romans applied "virilis" to adult male qualities, and the Latin word for a grown man's toga, the "toga virilis," marked the passage into manhood. English took the word directly from Latin as a learned borrowing, so it appears mainly in technical and formal writing rather than everyday speech. Its adjective "virile" carries the sense of vigorous manhood, and in modern usage it is often used of strength, potency, or forceful character. Because the English form comes straight from Latin, its meaning has stayed close to the original idea of the grown man as opposed to the boy.

Synonyms: manly, masculine, virile

Antonyms: effeminate, unmanly