Man: Meaning, Gender Identity, Masculinity, and Sexuality

A man may be:

• cisgender;
• transgender;
• heterosexual;
• gay;
• bisexual;
• asexual;
• masculine, feminine, or androgynous in expression;
• single, partnered, married, divorced, or widowed.

Simple examples include:

• He became a man legally when he reached adulthood.
• A transgender man is a man.
• A gay man is attracted to men.
• A man may be emotionally gentle and still be masculine.
• Being a man does not require having a penis or producing sperm.

Its plural is men, not mans.

Common expressions include:

• a young man;
• an older man;
• a married man;
• a gay man;
• a transgender man;
• a cisgender man;
• a working man;
• a man and his partner.

Examples include:

• He is a kind man.
• Several men attended the health seminar.
• The man’s partner accompanied him.

The word may also appear in compounds:

• businessman;
• spokesman;
• chairman;
• mankind.

Many modern speakers prefer gender-neutral alternatives such as businessperson, spokesperson, chairperson, and humanity when gender is not relevant.

Man is usually a gender and age term referring to an adult person.

Male may be used as:

• an adjective describing sex or gender;
• a noun in scientific, legal, or statistical contexts;
• a classification for humans or animals.

Compare:

• He is a man.
• He was recorded as male in the medical file.

In respectful everyday language, man is usually more natural than referring to someone simply as “a male.”

A man is an adult.

The boundary between boyhood and manhood may depend on:

• legal age;
• puberty;
• cultural ceremonies;
• family expectations;
• social responsibility;
• personal identity.

Puberty alone does not automatically make a boy emotionally, legally, or socially an adult man.

A man may be:

• a cisgender man;
• a transgender man;
• an intersex man;
• a man with a nontraditional gender expression.

A transgender man is not a woman pretending to be male. He is a man whose gender identity is male.

Not all men have the same anatomy, hormone levels, reproductive organs, or medical history.

• a penis;
• testes;
• a prostate;
• facial hair;
• a typically male-pattern voice or body shape.

Other men may not have some of these features because of:

• natural variation;
• intersex traits;
• surgery;
• injury;
• medical treatment;
• transgender experience;
• age-related changes.

Anatomy may be relevant in healthcare, but no single organ or physical trait independently determines whether someone is a man.

These may include:

• strength;
• independence;
• courage;
• responsibility;
• emotional control;
• leadership;
• protectiveness.

However, masculinity differs across cultures and individuals.

A man may be:

• gentle;
• emotionally expressive;
• nurturing;
• artistic;
• quiet;
• physically strong;
• feminine in style;
• uninterested in traditional male roles.

There is no single correct way to be a man.

A man may identify as:

• heterosexual;
• gay;
• bisexual;
• pansexual;
• asexual;
• queer;
• another orientation.

Gender identity answers, “Who am I?”

Sexual orientation concerns patterns of attraction.

A transgender man may have any sexual orientation, just like a cisgender man.

It may refer to:

• adulthood;
• male identity;
• cultural expectations;
• responsibility;
• maturity;
• physical development;
• social recognition.

Some cultures connect manhood with marriage, employment, strength, fatherhood, or sexual experience.

These expectations can be restrictive. A man does not need to marry, become a father, have sex, earn a particular income, or display toughness to be considered a man.

Possible experiences include:

• attraction;
• erections;
• ejaculation;
• masturbation;
• fantasy;
• changing desire;
• relationships;
• sexual confidence or anxiety;
• questions about orientation.

There is no single normal level of sexual interest.

A man may have frequent desire, low desire, no sexual attraction, or changing interest over time.

• erectile difficulties;
• premature or delayed ejaculation;
• low desire;
• infertility;
• STI exposure;
• genital pain;
• prostate conditions;
• body-image concerns;
• anxiety during intimacy.

These concerns do not make someone less of a man.

Persistent symptoms, significant pain, or distress may benefit from evaluation by an appropriate healthcare professional.

He may:

• refuse sexual activity;
• change his mind;
• set boundaries;
• decline touch;
• report abuse;
• ask for contraception;
• request STI testing;
• choose abstinence.

The stereotype that men always want sex is harmful.

A physical response such as an erection does not prove desire or consent. Men can experience coercion, harassment, assault, and sexual violence.

This pressure may make it harder for a man to:

• ask for help;
• discuss trauma;
• communicate during relationships;
• express affection;
• seek mental-health support;
• report abuse.

Emotional expression is not weakness.

Healthy masculinity can include empathy, accountability, honesty, and the ability to communicate feelings.

• biological parenthood;
• adoption;
• step-parenthood;
• donor-assisted reproduction;
• surrogacy;
• social or chosen parenting.

Not every man wants children, can produce sperm, or can become a parent.

Fatherhood is one possible part of a man’s life, not a requirement of manhood.

Avoid calling an adult man a boy in ways that are dismissive, racist, patronizing, or disrespectful.

When gender is unknown or irrelevant, terms such as these may be more suitable:

• person;
• adult;
• partner;
• patient;
• employee;
• parent.

Respectful language should reflect the person’s identity and the purpose of the discussion.

A man must be masculine.
Gender expression and gender identity are different.

A man always wants sex.
Desire varies, and men may refuse any sexual activity.

A transgender man is not a real man.
A transgender man is a man.

A man must marry or become a father.
Marriage and parenthood are personal choices.

Emotional vulnerability makes a man weak.
Healthy emotional expression can support stronger relationships and well-being.

1. A man is an adult person who identifies as male.
2. A transgender man is a man regardless of the sex assigned to him at birth.
3. A man may be heterosexual, gay, bisexual, asexual, or another orientation.
4. A man does not need to follow traditional masculine roles.
5. A man may express sadness, tenderness, fear, and vulnerability.
6. A man has the right to refuse sexual activity and set clear boundaries.
7. A physical response does not automatically prove that a man has consented.
8. A man may become a parent biologically, socially, or through assisted reproduction.
9. A man may have any body type, reproductive history, or gender expression.
10. Accurate discussion of man should distinguish gender identity, anatomy, masculinity, orientation, adulthood, and consent.

However, being a man does not determine sexual orientation, partner preference, level of desire, sexual experience, anatomy, or relationship role. Men may be cisgender or transgender, masculine or feminine, sexually active or abstinent.

Accurate sexuality education treats men as individuals with varied bodies, identities, emotions, and experiences. It supports consent, health, emotional expression, gender equality, freedom from stereotypes, and respect for every man’s personal boundaries and identity.