headmaster

noun

head·​mas·​ter ˈhed-ˌma-stər How to pronounce headmaster (audio)
-ˈma-
: a man heading the staff of a private school : principal
headmasterly adjective
headmastership noun

Examples of headmaster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mysteries are cropping up, dating back to the founding of the school, kids are teaming up with Good Professors to expose Evil Professors, and the headmaster is singling out the protagonist for dangerous tasks designed to kill her. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025 That first picture, for instance, is a satisfyingly arch self-portrait, capturing one of the headmasters from the boarding school Shore attended taking a group photo of a soccer team, and showing Shore’s shadow creeping up the edge of the man’s coat from behind. Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025 Murphy’s family background — his parents were teachers, his grandfather a headmaster, most of his aunts and uncles educators — gave him a natural connection to the role. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025 The movie, written and directed by Roger Kumble, follows Annette Hargrove (Witherspoon), the daughter of the new headmaster at a private high school in New York City. Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for headmaster

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of headmaster was in 1576

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Cite this Entry

“Headmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headmaster. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

headmaster

noun
head·​mas·​ter -ˌmas-tər How to pronounce headmaster (audio)
-ˈmas-
: a male head of a private school

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