Man vs. Male — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 24, 2024
Man refers to an young human male, highlighting age and maturity, while male is a broader term, applicable to any male member of a species, emphasizing biological gender.
Difference Between Man and Male
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Man typically refers to an young human male, distinguished by maturity and age. While male can be used to describe any male individual of any species, including humans, animals, and plants, focusing on biological attributes.
Man is often used in contexts that emphasize social roles and identity. Whereas male is a biological term used universally in scientific and general contexts to indicate gender across species.
In cultural contexts, man implies certain social and behavioral expectations that are specific to human societies. On the other hand, male as a term lacks these cultural connotations and strictly refers to biological gender.
Usage of the word "man" can also symbolically represent humanity or people in general, though this usage is becoming less common in modern language. Whereas male is never used in this symbolic way, maintaining a clear distinction in biological context.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Refers specifically to young human males.
Applies to any male member of a species.
ADVERTISEMENT
Usage Context
Social, cultural, and sometimes symbolic.
Biological and scientific.
Symbolic Use
Can represent humanity or people in general.
Not used symbolically.
Specificity
Used with age-related and cultural specifics.
Used broadly across all age groups and species.
Compare with Definitions
Man
Used to emphasize gender in social contexts.
The rights of man are fundamental.
Male
Any male individual of a species.
The male lion guards the territory.
Man
Young human male.
The man was chosen for the lead role in the play.
Male
Used in scientific and biological contexts.
Male frogs are often smaller than females.
Man
Represents human beings in general.
Man has always been fascinated by the stars.
Male
Pertains to gender in documents and forms.
Please check the box marked 'Male'.
Man
Reflects maturity and young responsibility.
He became a man after his eighteenth birthday.
Male
Applies to all age groups and species.
Male puppies are often more playful.
Man
Often used in a collective sense.
All men are created equal.
Male
Biological gender opposite of female.
The male chromosomes are XY.
Man
The human race; mankind
Man's quest for peace.
Male
Of or denoting the gamete that is smaller and more motile than the other corresponding gamete. Used of anisogamous organisms.
Man
A male human endowed with qualities, such as strength, considered characteristic of manhood.
Male
Relating to or designating organs, such as anthers or antheridia, that produce gametes capable of fertilizing those produced by female organs.
Man
A husband.
Male
Bearing stamens but not pistils; staminate
Male flowers.
Man
A male lover or sweetheart.
Male
Designating an object, such as an electric plug, designed for insertion into another part or a socket.
Man
Workers.
Male
A male organism.
Man
Enlisted personnel of the armed forces
Officers and men.
Male
A man or boy.
Man
A male representative, as of a country or company
Our man in Tokyo.
Male
Masculine; of the masculine grammatical gender.
Man
A male servant or subordinate.
Male
(of bacteria) Having the F factor; able to impart DNA into another bacterium which does not have the F factor (a female).
Man
(Informal) Used as a familiar form of address for a man
See here, my good man!.
Male
(figuratively) Of instruments, tools, or connectors: designed to fit into or penetrate a female counterpart, as in a connector, pipe fitting or laboratory glassware.
Man
One who swore allegiance to a lord in the Middle Ages; a vassal.
Male
A bacterium which has the F factor.
Man
(Games) Any of the pieces used in a board game, such as chess or checkers.
Male
A male connector, pipe fitting, etc.
Man
(Nautical) A ship. Often used in combination
A merchantman.
A man-of-war.
Male
Evil; wicked; bad.
Man
Often Man(Slang) A person or group felt to be in a position of power or authority. Used with the
"Their writing mainly concerns the street life—the pimp, the junky, the forces of drug addiction, exploitation at the hands of 'the man'" (Black World).
Male
Capable of producing fertilization, but not of bearing fruit; - said of stamens and antheridia, and of the plants, or parts of plants, which bear them.
Man
To supply with men, as for defense or service
Man a ship.
Male
Consisting of males; as, a male choir.
Man
To take stations at, as to defend or operate
Manned the guns.
Male
Adapted for entering another corresponding piece (the female piece) which is hollow and which it fits; as, a male gauge, for gauging the size or shape of a hole; a male screw, etc.
Man
To fortify or brace
Manned himself for the battle ahead.
Male
Same as Mail, a bag.
Man
Used as an expletive to indicate intense feeling
Man! That was close.
Male
A plant bearing only staminate flowers.
Man
(collective) All human males collectively: mankind.
Male
An animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)
Man
(collective) All humans collectively: mankind, humankind, humanity. Sometimes capitalized as Man.
Male
The capital of Maldives in the center of the islands
Man
A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species Homo sapiens.
Male
For or composed of men or boys;
The male lead
Masculine attire
Man
Manliness; the quality or state of being manly.
Male
Characteristic of a man;
A deep male voice
Manly sports
Man
A husband.
Man
A male lover; a boyfriend.
Man
A male enthusiast or devotee; a male who is very fond of or devoted to a specified kind of thing. Used as the last element of a compound.
Some people prefer apple pie, but me, I’m a cherry pie man.
Man
A person, usually male, who has duties or skills associated with a specified thing. Used as the last element of a compound.
I wanted to be a guitar man on a road tour, but instead I’m a flag man on a road crew.
Man
A person, usually male, who can fulfill one's requirements with regard to a specified matter.
Man
A male who belongs to a particular group: an employee, a student or alumnus, a representative, etc.
Man
(historical) A vassal; a subject.
All the king's men
Man
A piece or token used in board games such as chess.
Man
(sports) A player on whom another is playing, with the intent of limiting their attacking impact.
Man
: I, we; construed in the third person.
Man
Any person, one
Man
(transitive) To take up position in order to operate (something).
Man the machine guns!
Man
To brace (oneself), to fortify or steel (oneself) in a manly way. Compare man up.
Man
To wait on, attend to or escort.
Man
To accustom (a raptor or other type of bird) to the presence of people.
Man
A human being; - opposed to beast.
These men went about wide, and man found they none,But fair country, and wild beast many [a] one.
The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells to him as it doth to me.
'Tain't a fit night out for man nor beast!
Man
The human race; mankind.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion.
The proper study of mankind is man.
Man
The male portion of the human race.
Woman has, in general, much stronger propensity than man to the discharge of parental duties.
Man
One possessing in a high degree the distinctive qualities of manhood; one having manly excellence of any kind.
This was the noblest Roman of them all . . . the elementsSo mixed in him that Nature might stand upAnd say to all the world "This was a man!"
Man
A term of familiar address at one time implying on the part of the speaker some degree of authority, impatience, or haste; as, Come, man, we 've no time to lose! In the latter half of the 20th century it became used in a broader sense as simply a familiar and informal form of address, but is not used in business or formal situations; as, hey, man! You want to go to a movie tonight?.
Man
A married man; a husband; - correlative to wife.
I pronounce that they are man and wife.
Every wife ought to answer for her man.
Man
One, or any one, indefinitely; - a modified survival of the Saxon use of man, or mon, as an indefinite pronoun.
A man can not make him laugh.
A man would expect to find some antiquities; but all they have to show of this nature is an old rostrum of a Roman ship.
Man
One of the piece with which certain games, as chess or draughts, are played.
Man
To supply with men; to furnish with a sufficient force or complement of men, as for management, service, defense, or the like; to guard; as, to man a ship, boat, or fort.
See how the surly Warwick mans the wall !
They man their boats, and all their young men arm.
Man
To furnish with strength for action; to prepare for efficiency; to fortify.
Man
To tame, as a hawk.
Man
To furnish with a servant or servants.
Man
To wait on as a manservant.
Man
Someone who serves in the armed forces; a member of a military force;
Two men stood sentry duty
Man
The generic use of the word to refer to any human being;
It was every man for himself
Man
All of the inhabitants of the earth;
All the world loves a lover
She always used `humankind' because `mankind' seemed to slight the women
Man
Any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae
Man
A male subordinate;
The chief stationed two men outside the building
He awaited word from his man in Havana
Man
A male person who plays a significant role (husband or lover or boyfriend) in the life of a particular woman;
She takes good care of her man
Man
A manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer;
Jeeves was Bertie Wooster's man
Man
One of the British Isles in the Irish Sea
Man
Game equipment consisting of an object used in playing certain board games;
He taught me to set up the men on the chess board
He sacrificed a piece to get a strategic advantage
Man
Take charge of a certain job; occupy a certain work place;
Mr. Smith manned the reception desk in the morning
Man
Provide with men;
We cannot man all the desks
Common Curiosities
Do the terms "man" and "male" have different implications in legal documents?
Yes, "man" might be used to denote specific legal rights or identities, while "male" is used for gender identification purposes.
What are the implications of using "man" in language?
Using "man" can convey notions of maturity, responsibility, and specific societal roles, and sometimes represents humanity in general.
Can "man" be pluralized in the same way as "male"?
"Man" is pluralized as "men," while "male" is pluralized as "males," reflecting the standard English language conventions.
What historical changes have affected the usage of "man" and "male"?
Historically, "man" was used more broadly to represent people, but modern usage often differentiates more carefully between "man" and "human" to include all genders.
Why might someone choose to use "male" instead of "man"?
Someone might use "male" to avoid age-specific connotations or when referring to male individuals in a purely biological sense.
How do educational texts treat the terms "man" and "male"?
Educational texts often use "male" when teaching biological concepts and "man" when discussing cultural or social studies topics.
What is a common mistake people make when using "man" and "male"?
A common mistake is using "man" when referring to young boys or when a non-age-specific reference is more appropriate.
What future trends might influence the usage of "man" and "male"?
Future language trends may emphasize more inclusive and precise terms, possibly reducing the usage of "man" in favor of terms that explicitly include all genders.
How does the usage of "man" and "male" differ in feminist discourse?
In feminist discourse, "man" is often discussed in the context of gender roles and power dynamics, while "male" is used to discuss biological aspects without cultural implications.
Is the word "man" losing its general symbolic meaning in contemporary language?
Yes, there's a trend toward using gender-neutral language like "human" or "person" instead of "man" to represent people in general.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Allostasis vs. Homeostasis
Next Comparison
Compensation vs. RestitutionAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
