masterful

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adjective mas·ter·ful \ˈmas-tər-fəl\

Definition of masterful

1a : inclined and usually competent to act as masterb : suggestive of a domineering nature
2 : having or reflecting the power and skill of a master

masterfully

play \-fə-lē\ adverb

masterfulness

noun

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masterful vs. masterly

Some commentators insist that use of masterful should be limited to its early “domineering” sense in order to preserve a distinction between it and masterly. The distinction is a modern one, excogitated by a 20th century pundit in disregard of the history of the word. Both words developed in a parallel manner but the earlier sense of masterly, equivalent to the “domineering” sense of masterful, dropped out of use. Since masterly had but one sense, the pundit opined that it would be tidy if masterful were likewise limited to one sense and he forthwith condemned use of masterful to mean “having mastery” as an error. This later sense of masterful, which is slightly older than the sense of masterly intended to replace it, has continued in reputable use all along; it cannot rationally be called an error.

Examples of masterful in a Sentence

His manner was masterful and abrupt.
a masterful work of art
He did a masterful job of staying out of trouble.

Recent Examples of masterful from the Web

These masterful shocks have somewhat redefined the state of the art in damping.

— jim resnick, Ars Technica, "Camaro goes nuclear: Chevrolet escalates the muscle car war," 18 July 2017
Again, for many pages, there are no words -- simply masterful expressions -- and the best splash page in the entire series explodes with a flash and Lemire's SFX painted right into the scene.

— melinda morris, NOLA.com, "'RuPaul's Drag Race' contestants coming to Metairie," 10 July 2017
The maps submitted this year to the bi-annual Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition range from adorable to masterful.

— betsy mason, National Geographic, "See the Amazing Kids' Maps That Won a Global Contest," 10 July 2017
Again, for many pages, there are no words -- simply masterful expressions -- and the best splash page in the entire series explodes with a flash and Lemire's SFX painted right into the scene.

— will nevin, OregonLive.com, "The emptiness of endless life: On 'After Death' with writer Scott Snyder and artist Jeff Lemire," 10 July 2017
LSU, led by Ed Orgeron and Tommie Robinson, did a masterful job in capturing the excitement of the moment and capitalizing on it.

— james smith, NOLA.com, "A.J. Carter's commitment to LSU was more surprising than his decommitment," 6 July 2017
Come for the hyper-specific 1-percenter jokes; stay for Abby Elliott’s masterful performance as the ultimate Upper East Side monster.

— laura bradley, VanityFair.com, "7 Perfect TV Binges to Keep You Busy All Summer Long," 29 June 2017
Cobb completed six masterful no-hit innings before Josh Harrison grounded one through the shifted over infield to start the seventh inning.

— connor grossman, SI.com, "Starting Nine: Cubs have more than a basestealing problem; Mets have more injuries," 28 June 2017
Your emcee the masterful Scotty B, and your exceptional photographers/videographers Kristin Alexander and Charles Cardwell.

— jim varsallone, miamiherald, "After never winning, Stanley C. Panther wins again at Mascot Games," 25 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'masterful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Some commentators insist that masterful must only mean "domineering," reserving the "expert, skillful" sense for masterly. The distinction is a modern one. In earlier times, the terms were used interchangeably, with each having both the "domineering" and "expert" senses. The "domineering" sense of masterly fell into disuse around the 18th century, however, and in the 20th century the famous grammarian H. W. Fowler decided that masterful should be similarly limited to a single meaning. He summarily ruled that the "expert" definition of masterful was incorrect. Other usage writers followed his lead. But the "expert" meaning of masterful has continued to flourish in standard prose in spite of the disapproval, and, considering the sense's long history, it cannot really be called an error.

First Known Use of masterful

15th century

Synonym Discussion of masterful

masterful, domineering, imperious, peremptory, imperative mean tending to impose one's will on others. masterful implies a strong personality and ability to act authoritatively. her masterful personality soon dominated the movement domineering suggests an overbearing or arbitrary manner and an obstinate determination to enforce one's will. children controlled by domineering parents imperious implies a commanding nature or manner and often suggests arrogant assurance. an imperious executive used to getting his own way peremptory implies an abrupt dictatorial manner coupled with an unwillingness to brook disobedience or dissent. given a peremptory dismissal imperative implies peremptoriness arising more from the urgency of the situation than from an inherent will to dominate. an imperative appeal for assistance