• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / What does Machismo mean in Spanish and Where did the term Macho come from?

What does Machismo mean in Spanish and Where did the term Macho come from?

May 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Spanish word for male is macho. Machismo is the Latino idea of what it means to be a man.

It includes such notions as courage, virility, honor, toughness. It usually implies that men are superior to women and rightfully hold authority over them.

At its noblest, machismo means providing for one’s family, keeping one’s word, standing up for what is right. At its crudest, it means violence, swagger, sexual prowess, and domination of women.

Virtually all Latino males are aware of the concept, though whether or how they carry it out varies greatly.

Anglos tend to know the word machismo only in the cheap, ridiculous sense embodied in the Village People song “Macho Man.”

Related Facts

  • How do Latina women feel about machismo?
  • What is the link between machismo and Latino culture and What does Hasta la Vista mean?
  • Where do Germs, Bacteria, and Viruses come from and How do they make us sick?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed the World
  • Why do Male Chimpanzees have Bigger Testicles compared to Humans and Gorillas also have Tiny Ones?
  • Why do some people call themselves Hispanic while others call themselves Latino and What is the difference?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why do some South Americans travel illegally to the United States?
Next Post: What is the link between machismo and Latino culture and What does Hasta la Vista mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy