man
man Lexical Profile
man Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An adult male human being.
"The tall man in the navy suit is the keynote speaker for today's conference."
A human being of either sex; the human race or humankind collectively.
"Archaeologists study ancient tools to understand how early man adapted to changing climates."
A husband, boyfriend, or male romantic partner.
"They stood before their families and were pronounced man and wife."
One of the movable pieces used by a player in board games such as chess, checkers, or backgammon.
"She advanced her man across the board to capture her opponent's unprotected piece."
• interjection
Used informally to express strong emotion, such as surprise, enthusiasm, frustration, or emphasis.
"Man, that was the most challenging exam I have ever taken."
• verb
To supply a place, station, machine, or vessel with the personnel needed to operate, work, or defend it.
"Volunteers were asked to man the information booth throughout the weekend festival."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'man' has historically been used as a generic noun for all human beings or mankind, contemporary formal and inclusive writing strongly favors gender-neutral terms such as 'humankind', 'humanity', or 'people'.
• Rhymes for man
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'mann', meaning a human being of either sex, derived from Proto-Germanic '*mann-'. In early English, the word referred broadly to a person, while 'wer' and 'wif' were used to distinguish male and female before 'man' narrowed to mean specifically an adult male.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.