# male

> English word · Adjective · IPA /meɪl/ · frequency rank #1,371

## Definitions
1. Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
2. Characteristic of this sex/gender. (Compare masculine, manly.)
3. Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex.
4. Masculine; of the masculine grammatical gender.
5. Having the F factor; able to impart DNA into another bacterium which does not have the F factor (a female).
6. Of instruments, tools, or connectors: designed to fit into or penetrate a female counterpart, as in a connector, pipe fitting or laboratory glassware.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Latin mās
Proto-Indo-European *-lós
Proto-Italic *-elos
Latin -ulus
Latin -culus
Latin masculus
Vulgar Latin masclus
Old French maslebor.
Middle English male
English male
From Middle English male, borrowed from Old French malle, masle (Modern French mâle), from Latin masculus (“masculine, a male”), diminutive of mās (“male, masculine”). Doublet of macho. Displaced native Old English wǣpned (“male”, literally “weaponed”).

## Easily confused with
- **ME** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-me)
- **ML** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-ml)
- **may** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-may)
- **man** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-man)
- **map** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-map)
- **max** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-max)
- **mar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mar)
- **MLB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mlb)
- **mat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mat)
- **mel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mel)
- **mil** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mil)
- **mao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mao)
- **moe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-moe)
- **MLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mla)
- **mam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mam)
- **mol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mol)
- **MLM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mlm)
- **Mau** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mau)
- **mee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-mee)
- **maw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/male-vs-maw)

## Common misspellings (5)
`amle`, `mael`, `malle`, `mlae`, `mmale`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/male