master

1 of 3

noun

mas·​ter ˈma-stər 

plural masters

1

a(1)

: a male teacher

(2)

: a person holding an academic degree higher than a bachelor's but lower than a doctor's

also : the degree itself

b

often capitalized : a revered religious leader

c

: a worker or artisan qualified to teach apprentices compare apprentice entry 1 sense 1b, journeyman sense 1

d(1)

: an artist, performer, or player of consummate (see consummate entry 1 sense 1) skill

(2)

: a great figure of the past (as in science or art) whose work serves as a model or ideal

2

a

: one having authority over another : ruler, governor

This decisive battle left him master of Europe.

b

: one that conquers or masters : victor, superior

in the new challenger the champion found his master

c

: a person licensed to command a merchant ship

d

: one having control

proved himself master of the situation

e

: an owner especially of an animal

f

: the employer especially of a servant

g

: a person who holds another person in slavery

h(1)

dialect : husband

(2)

: the male head of a household

3

a(1)

archaic : mr.

(2)

: a youth or boy too young to be called mister

—used as a title

b

: the eldest son of a Scottish viscount or baron (see baron sense 2a)

4

a

: a presiding (see preside sense 2) officer in an institution or society (such as a college)

b

: any of several officers of court appointed to assist (as by hearing and reporting) a judge

5

a

: a master mechanism (see mechanism sense 1) or device

b

: an original from which copies can be made

especially : a master recording (such as a magnetic tape)

mastership

ˈma-stər-ˌship 

noun

master

2 of 3

adjective

: being or relating to a master: such as

a

: having chief authority : dominant

b

: skilled, proficient

a prosperous master builder

—Current Biography

c

: principal, predominant

d

: superlative

—often used in combination

a master-liar

e

: being a device or mechanism that controls the operation of another mechanism or that establishes a standard (such as a dimension or weight)

f

: being or relating to a master from which duplicates are made

master

3 of 3

verb

mastered; mastering ˈma-st(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to become master of : overcome

mastered his fears

2

a

: to become skilled or proficient in the use of

master a foreign language

b

: to gain a thorough understanding of

had mastered every aspect of publishing

—Current Biography

3

: to produce a master recording of (something, such as a musical rendition)

Synonyms

Noun

• ace
• adept
• artist
• authority
• cognoscente
• connoisseur
• crackerjack
• crackajack
• dab [chiefly British]
• dab hand [chiefly British]
• expert
• fiend
• geek
• guru
• hand
• hotshot
• maestro
• maven
• mavin
• meister
• past master
• proficient
• scholar
• shark
• sharp
• virtuoso
• whiz
• wizard

Adjective

• arch
• big
• capital
• cardinal
• central
• chief
• dominant
• first
• foremost
• grand
• great
• greatest
• highest
• key
• leading
• main
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• overbearing
• overmastering
• overriding
• paramount
• predominant
• preeminent
• premier
• primal
• primary
• principal
• prior
• sovereign
• sovran
• supreme

Verb

• beat
• best
• conquer
• defeat
• dispatch
• do down [British]
• get
• get around
• lick
• overbear
• overcome
• overmatch
• prevail (over)
• skunk
• stop
• subdue
• surmount
• take
• trim
• triumph (over)
• upend
• win (against)
• worst

Examples of master in a Sentence

Noun

the master and mistress of the house

She is a master of her craft.

Adjective

a master craftsman who makes fine wood furniture of his own designs

Verb

She mastered French in college.

He is determined to master every aspect of the business.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Robertson continued his insatiable tinkering with bicycles, tractors and finally, cars and trucks, on his way to becoming a master mechanic. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 20 Apr. 2024

But then a couple things changed in rapid succession, and the smartphone changed from being our servant to being our master, for many people. —David Remnick, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024

Swift's successes and failures, including the battle to regain control of her master recordings, are part of the syllabus at UC Berkeley. —Jo Ling Kent, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024

Throughout the series, Peck is described as a master manipulator, someone who infiltrated Bell’s life when the actor was a teenager partly by earning his mother’s trust. —Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024

Sake has been brewed there since 1917, but a century later in 2017 master distiller and blender Kimio Yonezawa started making whisky under the Hatozaki name, as well as sourcing liquid from other distilleries both in Japan and abroad for blending. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2024

Cocktail master Martín Suaya created drinks with names like Mi Buenos Aires Querido (my beloved Buenos Aires) and Café Para Dos (café for two). —Nora Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024

Home to one of the largest collections of Latin music master recordings and compositions, Craft Latino’s repertoire includes artists such as Antonio Aguilar, Joan Sebastian, Pepe Aguilar, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Ray Barretto, La Lupe, Rubén Blades and the Fania All Stars. —Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2024

That’s where good headphones can reveal all the intricate detail and refinement contained on the master tapes. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024

Adjective

The new board will comprise 11 master sommeliers, plus four non-master sommelier members. —Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 12 Nov. 2020

And coming back to her non-master suite? —Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2022

On the lower deck, owners can choose between three or four cabins, with a mid-master stateroom anchoring the layout. —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2022

Some of the most intriguing whiskey coming out of Beam these days is the work of Freddie Noe (who now holds the title of co-master distiller with his father Fred Noe), specifically his Little Book lineup of blended whiskeys. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 May 2022

There is a private entrance to the master suite and office, a large guest suite with a bathroom and an ADU with a separate entry on the lower level. —oregonlive, 27 June 2020

The interior features high ceilings, custom millwork, and walnut floors and paneling, and the master suite has his-and-her baths and closets, a sitting area, and a balcony. —TheWeek, 27 June 2020

Is Keaton physically hunky enough to play the master CIA death machine? —Michael Heaton, cleveland.com, 15 Sep. 2017

Verb

Eilish confirmed late in February that her new album has been mastered, which is the usually last step before an album is manufactured and sent to streaming services. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

But, when — after a year and a half of Pentagon stalling — the missile batteries were finally sent, the Ukrainians not only mastered their use. —Robert Zubrin, National Review, 7 Apr. 2024

The art of distressing denim is one that many jean companies have mastered—and even made more environmentally acceptable—since interest spiked in the mid-’70s amidst the rise of boho style. —Jane Herman, Vogue, 7 Apr. 2024

At one and a half years old, Luna has mastered a technique that current AI models still struggle with. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024

John has mastered grinding, tamping and breaking down espresso in an old-school machine. —Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2024

Like exercising or mastering a new language, working effectively with AI takes developing new habits (plus unlearning some old ones). —Colette Stallbaumer, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024

Dan Bora, Philip Glass’ sound engineer, mixed the LP, and it was mastered by Telefon Tel Aviv’s Joshua Eustis. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 29 Mar. 2024

Of course, plenty of English language books are sold as well, for Francophiles who haven’t quite mastered their temps composés. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English, from Old English magister & Anglo-French meistre, both from Latin magister; akin to Latin magnus large — more at much

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing master

• cellar master
• chief master sergeant
• chief master sergeant of the air force
• grand master
• hold the master key
• jack-of-all-trades, master of none
• master-at-arms
• master bedroom
• master chief petty officer
• master chief petty officer of the coast guard
• master chief petty officer of the navy
• master class
• master gunnery sergeant
• master key
• master of arts
• master of ceremonies
• master of science
• master plan
• master race
• master's degree
• master sergeant
• old master
• past master
• pit master
• question master
• rattlesnake master
• senior master sergeant
• special master
• wagon master

Kids Definition

master

1 of 3 noun

mas·​ter ˈmas-tər 

1

a

: a male teacher

b

: a person holding an academic degree between a bachelor's and a doctor's

2

a

: an independent skilled worker

especially : one qualified to teach apprentices

b

: an artist or performer of great skill

3

a

: one having authority : ruler

b

: one that conquers or masters

c

: the captain of a merchant ship

d

: an owner especially of a slave or animal

e

: the employer especially of a servant

4

—used as a title for a boy too young to be called mister

5

: a master machine or device

mastership

-ˌship 

noun

master

2 of 3 adjective

1

: being a master

a master carpenter

2

: being the main or guiding one

a master plan

3

: controlling the operation of other devices

a master clock

master

3 of 3 verb

mastered; mastering -t(ə-)riŋ 

1

: overcome sense 1, subdue

master an enemy

master a desire

2

: to become skilled at

master arithmetic

Etymology

Noun

Middle English master "master," from Old English magister and early French meistre, both meaning "master" and both from Latin magister "master, teacher, one who holds high political or military office" — related to maestro, magistrate, mistress

Legal Definition

master

1 of 2 noun

mas·​ter

1

: an individual or entity (as a corporation) having control or authority over another: as

a

: the owner of a slave

b

: employer compare servant

c

: principal sense 1a

2

: an officer of the court appointed (as under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53) to assist a judge in a particular case by hearing and reporting on the case, sometimes by making findings of fact and conclusions of law, and by performing various related functions

Note: Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a master may be a magistrate or else may be a person with some special expertise in the matter. The word master as used in the Federal Rules encompasses a referee, an auditor, an examiner, and an assessor. If the master makes findings of fact, they are reviewable de novo by the court except when the parties have stipulated that the findings will be reviewed for clear error or that the master's findings are to be final.

master

2 of 2 adjective

: being the principal or controlling one : governing a number of subordinate like things

a master insurance policy