Definition

Noun: 1. The process of developing male physical characteristics: This refers to the biological or medical process by which typically female or immature organisms acquire male secondary sex traits. This is often, but not exclusively, used in contexts of abnormal development or as a result of external factors like hormone treatment. 2. The act of making something masculine in character: In broader, often social or cultural contexts, it can refer to the imposition or adoption of qualities traditionally considered male.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Medical/Biological):
  • The condition was marked by the masculinization of her features, including a deepened voice and facial hair growth.
  • Masculinization can be a side effect of certain steroid therapies.
• Noun (Social/Cultural):
  • The masculinization of the profession over the last century pushed many women out of the field.
  • Critics argued that the film's masculinization of the historical character distorted the truth.

Advanced Usage

• "To undergo masculinization": This phrase describes the subject experiencing the process.
  • The fetus may undergo masculinization if exposed to high levels of androgens.
• Used in academic discourse within fields like endocrinology, gender studies, and sociology.

Variants and Related Words

• Masculinize (verb): To cause masculinization.
  • The hormone treatment could masculinize her physique.
• Masculinizing (adjective): Having the effect of causing masculinization.
  • She was prescribed a masculinizing hormone therapy.
• Virilization (noun): A near-synonym in medical contexts, specifically referring to the development of male secondary sexual characteristics in females or prepubertal males.

Synonyms

• Virilization (medical)
• Androgenization (medical, more specific to androgen hormones)
• Male development

Antonyms

• Feminization
• Demasculinization

Noun

1. the abnormal development of male sexual characteristics in a female (usually as the result of hormone therapies or adrenal malfunction)