Men is the plural of man, meaning more than one adult male person. When you see three adult males walking together, you're seeing three men. The word can refer to any number of adult males, whether two or two million.

Throughout history, people have used men in different ways. Sometimes it meant all human beings, as in the phrase “all men are created equal” from the Declaration of Independence, which used the word men to refer to people in general. Today, we're more careful to say “people” or “humans” when we mean everyone, and save men specifically for adult males.

You'll also hear the word in common phrases. To man a station means to take responsibility for it, like manning the lemonade stand at your school fundraiser. These expressions come from old ideas about what men should be, though today we recognize that courage, responsibility, and strength matter for everyone, regardless of gender.

The word appears everywhere: in history books about the men who signed the Constitution, in sports stories about men's basketball, and in everyday conversations about the men in your family or community.