man and woman

A man is an adult male human; a woman is an adult female human.

The line between boy and man or girl and woman falls somewhere in the late teens, though cultural markers like marriage or independence sometimes define it.

Man historically meant any human being—a sense preserved in mankind and man the hunter—though this generic use now strikes many as sexist.

Woman derives from "wife-man," originally meaning female person.

Both words extend beyond biology: Be a man appeals to courage or stoicism; woman up is a recent parallel.

With possessives, my man or my woman typically indicates a romantic partner.