alpha male

American  

[al-fuh meyl] / ˈæl fə ˈmeɪl /

noun

1. a male animal having the highest rank in a dominance hierarchy.

   Studies show that in spite of their high rank, access to females, etc., baboon alpha males experience a great deal of stress.

2. the most dominant, powerful, or assertive man in a particular group.

   He thinks he's the alpha male of investment bankers.

3. Slang: Sometimes Disparaging. a man who is perceived to be assertive, successful, and sexually dominant.

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alpha male British  

noun

1. the dominant male animal or person in a group

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Etymology

Origin of alpha male

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Around the same time, a new alpha male rose to dominance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Mr. James’s tone—that of a reformed alpha male, an ex-con and traveler of a gritty road—lends his tale authenticity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

“Even though there’s an alpha male, the more subordinate males within the troop will mate with the females and do what’s called sneak breeding,” said Candace Sclimenti, curator of mammals at the zoo.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

It will only work if the group's alpha male, the silverback, is willing to accept the humans - if he does, his family will too.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2024

Male chimps cannot gather in a constitutional assembly to abolish the office of alpha male and declare that from here on out all chimps are to be treated as equals.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari