Energetic, vigorous manhood; masculinity.

Luckily, there's no doubt about what virility is, since it's depicted on the covers of dozens of new romance novels every month! A masterful and dominating manner, a splendid bared chest, a full head of lustrous hair, and an array of stunning costumes seem to be what's required. (*Virile* traits often missing in these men are hair on the chest and any hint of future baldness.) High-school football provides a showplace for demonstrations of adolescent virility, and for years afterward virile high-school players can keep using football language in their business life: “get to the red zone,” “Hail Mary pass,” “move the ball,” and on and on.

(1) A commission or government of three. (2) A group or association of three.

The first triumvirate of the Roman Republic, which consisted of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, was simply an alliance or partnership, not a formal institution of the government. The alliance didn't last long, however, and Caesar eventually emerged with total power. This led to his assassination, after which a second triumvirate took over, with Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus dividing the Roman world among themselves. But these *triumvirs* also soon turned on one another, with Octavian alone taking power; in time he would become Rome's first emperor.

A loud, bad-tempered, overbearing woman.

The original Latin meaning of *virago* was “female warrior.” But in later centuries the meaning shifted toward the negative. The most famous virago in English literature is the ferocious Kate in Shakespeare's *The Taming of the Shrew.* Some historical viragoes have also become famous. Agrippina poisoned her husband, the Emperor Claudius, so that her son Nero could take his place (but it was Nero himself who eventually had her assassinated). And Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, a powerful virago of the 12th century, was imprisoned by her husband, King Henry II of England, after she encouraged their sons to rebel against him. Today some people are beginning to use *virago* admiringly again.

Great technical skill, especially in the practice of a fine art.

*Virtuosity* is used particularly to describe musicians, but also often for writers, actors, dancers, and athletes. A *virtuoso* is a highly skilled performer, and a *virtuoso* performance is one that astonishes the audience by its feats. In ancient Greece the cities would hold male competitions in acrobatics, conjuring, public reciting, blowing the trumpet, and acting out scenes from Homer's epics, the winners of which would have been praised as *virtuous,* or “full of manly virtues.”

Personal bravery in the face of danger.

Valor in uniform is still rewarded by medals. Many American civic organizations award a Medal of Valor for physical courage, and the Air Force Medal of Honor displays the single word “Valor.” The somewhat old- fashioned adjective *valorous* more often describes warriors of the past. But *valiant* is still in common use, though it less often describes military courage than other kinds of bravery or effort.

(1) Equal in force, amount, value, area, or volume. (2) Similar or virtually identical in effect or function.

Modern democracies have institutions and offices that are roughly equivalent to those found in others: the president of the United States has his British equivalent in the prime minister, for instance, and the U.S. Congress finds its equivalent in the British Parliament. The heavily armored knight on his great armored horse has been called the Middle Ages' equivalent of the army tank. In none of these examples are the two things identical to each other; they're simply very similar in their effect or purpose or nature, which is what *equivalence* usually implies.

Widely accepted, favored, or practiced; widespread.

Many diseases that were prevalent a century ago have been controlled by advances in medicine. Smallpox was prevalent on several continents for many centuries, and when Europeans brought it with them to the Americas, it killed more American Indians than the armed settlers did. But *prevalent* doesn't just describe diseases. One ideal of male or female beauty may be prevalent in a particular society and quite a different ideal in another. In the 1950s and '60s, there was a prevalent notion that if you went swimming less than an hour after eating you might drown because of stomach cramps— which goes to show that not every prevalent idea is exactly true.

(1) To make legally valid; give official approval to. (2) To support or confirm the validity of.

Validating a pass might require getting an official stamp on it. Validating experimental data might require checking it against data from further experiments. An A on a test might validate your study methods. And you might go to a trusted friend to validate your decision to get rid of your boyfriend, buy a pet iguana, or sell everything and move to Las Vegas.