maestro

noun

mae·​stro ˈmī-(ˌ)strō 

plural maestros or maestri ˈmī-ˌstrē 

: a master usually in an art

especially : an eminent composer, conductor, or teacher of music

Synonyms of maestro

• expert
• master
• virtuoso
• scholar
• adept
• wizard
• guru
• artist

Examples of maestro in a Sentence

a maestro of the violin

Recent Examples on the Web

John Carpenter, the horror maestro who brought us classics such as Halloween (1978) and The Thing (1982), hasn’t made a movie since 2010’s The Ward. — David Harris, SPIN, 10 Aug. 2026

Stephen King‘s Desperation is headed to the big screen, with Searchlight bringing together some high flying names to develop a take on the 1996 novel by the horror maestro. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026

Like a maestro whose true medium is the moment, she’s given us nothing to do but wait and find out. — Caryn Ganz, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026

To some maestros of the whiteboard, the wackier, the more parties involved, the better. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, master, from Latin magister — more at master

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

maestro

noun

mae·​stro ˈmī-strō 

plural maestros or maestri -ˌstrē 

: a master of an art and especially of music

Etymology

from Italian maestro, literally "master," from Latin magister "master, one who holds a higher political office" — related to magistrate, master