mastery

noun

mas·​tery ˈma-st(ə-)rē 

1

a

: the authority of a master : dominion

b

: the upper hand in a contest or competition : superiority, ascendancy

2

a

: possession or display of great skill or technique

b

: skill or knowledge that makes one master of a subject : command

Synonyms of mastery

• proficiency

Examples of mastery in a Sentence

We were impressed by her mastery of the subject.

She achieved a complete mastery of French.

He struggled to gain mastery of his fears.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the eyewear industry, this heritage is expressed through a distinctive way of creating products where design, technical mastery, and artisanal know-how come together. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

By contrast, a human child typically begins to grasp language by their first birthday and achieves fluent mastery by hearing only 10 million to 30 million words. — Kelly Huang, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

By exhibiting and then dominating them in the arena, Rome was symbolically asserting its mastery over nature itself. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026

The term seems to imply a mastery of all the resources of a form, displayed in a surprising context without self-conscious artfulness. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maistrie, from Anglo-French mestrie, maistrie, from meistre master

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mastery

• self-mastery

Kids Definition

mastery

noun

mas·​tery ˈmas-t(ə-)rē 

plural masteries

1

: the position or authority of a master

2

: victory

3

: skill or knowledge that makes one master of something : command

a mastery of French