mistress

noun

mis·​tress ˈmi-strəs How to pronounce mistress (audio)
plural mistresses
1
: a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: such as
a
: the female head of a household
the mistress of the house
b
: a woman who employs or supervises servants
The servants did their mistress's bidding without question.
c
: a woman who possesses, owns, or controls something
the mistress of a large fortune
Whether mongrels or thoroughbreds … dogs have shared their masters' and mistresses' experiences in almost all walks of life.Robert Rosenblum
d
: a woman who is in charge of a school or other establishment : headmistress
Mrs. Goddard was the mistress of a school …Jane Austen
e
: a woman of the Scottish nobility having a status comparable to that of a master (see master sense 3b)
2
a
chiefly British : a female teacher or tutor
b
: a woman who has achieved mastery in some field
She was a mistress of music.
You learn how to chop throats and gouge eyes and stomp insteps … and after eight weeks you're given your diploma, which officially declares you a mistress of unarmed combat.Arthur R. Miller
c
: a woman considered especially notable for something
After penning several apocalyptic books, she became known as the mistress of doom.
3
: something personified as female that rules, directs, or dominates
… France was master of the Continent, England mistress of the seas.James MacGregor Burns
Yet he was sharp and self-interested enough (serving, that is, his demanding mistress, Painting) to write more than 400 letters …Ronald Pickvance
4
a
: a woman other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship
b
archaic : sweetheart
5
a
used archaically as a title prefixed to the name of a married or unmarried woman
b
chiefly Southern US and Midland US
used as a conventional title of courtesy except when usage requires the substitution of a title of rank or an honorific or professional title before a married woman's surname : mrs. sense 1a
6
: an often professional dominatrix
With each addition of pain or restraint, he stiffens slightly, then falls into a deeper calm, a deeper peace, waiting to obey his mistress.Marianne Apostolides

Examples of mistress in a Sentence

The dog was always obedient to its master and mistress. the master and mistress of the house a married man who has a mistress His wife suspected that the woman she'd seen with him was his mistress.
Recent Examples on the Web In the photographer Marion Post Wolcott’s famous photos, Black folks are dancing and gambling in makeshift buildings; even in The Color Purple, the night at the juke joint ends when a fight breaks out between a woman and her husband’s mistress. Korsha Wilson, Bon Appétit, 11 Mar. 2024 His mother was Ursule, the mistress’s waiting maid. Elizabeth Stone, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 On the road, Tony is also juggling phone calls to his angry mistress and his ailing wife, Carmela, who is busy confessing her sins, while attempting to add to them, with her handsome parish priest. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024 But this was the very demographic that sensational authors catered to with tales of beautiful bigamists, charming husband killers and mistresses of disguise. Katherine Hobbs, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 Putin rightly perceived Navalny as a major threat and likely hated him for Navalny’s temerity to reveal to the world Putin’s immense corruption and his personal secrets (about his mistresses, for example). Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 When Ferrari opens, Laura is still reeling from the death of their son Dino — and doesn’t even know that Enzo has since fathered another child with his mistress, Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley). Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Dec. 2023 Just months after her husband had taken his mistress on those European vacations, Pellot treated Maria to a lavish getaway in Las Vegas. Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2023 The story is set against the professional backdrop of the 1957 Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race across Italy, and the personal drama involving Ferrari’s wife (Cruz) and mistress (Woodley). Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mistress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maistresse, from Anglo-French mestresse, feminine of mestre master — more at master

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistress was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mistress

Cite this Entry

“Mistress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistress. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mistress

noun
mis·​tress ˈmis-trəs How to pronounce mistress (audio)
1
: a woman who has control or authority like that of a master
the mistress of the household
2
: something considered as a female that rules or directs
3
: a woman to whom a man is not married and with whom he has a romantic relationship
4
used formerly as a title before the name of a woman
Etymology

Middle English maistresse "mistress," from early French mestresse (same meaning), a feminine form of mestre "master" — related to master

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