virilization
|vi-ri-la-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌvɪrɪləˈzeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌvɪrɪlɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
becoming manly
Etymology
'virilization' originates from Latin, specifically the adjective 'virilis', where 'vir' meant 'man', combined with the English suffix '-ization' (from '-ize' + '-ation') meaning 'the process of making or becoming'.
'virilization' changed from the adjective and noun roots in Latin ('virilis') and the English verb 'virilize' (a formation meaning 'to make virile'), and eventually became the modern English noun 'virilization' by adding the nominalizing suffix '-ation'.
Initially, the root 'virilis' meant 'manly' or 'of a man'; over time the formed English terms came to mean 'the process or condition of becoming manly', especially in a medical or biological context.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the development or presence of male secondary sexual characteristics in a person, especially in a female, often due to increased androgen levels.
The patient's virilization included deepening of the voice and increased facial hair.
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Noun 2
in endocrinology and medicine, a set of signs and symptoms (such as hirsutism, clitoromegaly, and voice changes) resulting from excessive androgen exposure.
Virilization may be observed in women with androgen-producing tumors or congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
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Last updated: 2026/01/17 01:40