mastery

noun

mas·​tery ˈma-st(ə-)rē 

1

a

: the authority of a master : dominion

b

: the upper hand in a contest or competition : superiority, ascendancy

2

a

: possession or display of great skill or technique

b

: skill or knowledge that makes one master of a subject : command

Synonyms of mastery

• proficiency

Examples of mastery in a Sentence

We were impressed by her mastery of the subject.

She achieved a complete mastery of French.

He struggled to gain mastery of his fears.

Recent Examples on the Web

The guitar riff is such a delicious slice of early '80s pop-rock mastery, the lyrics are a hilarious double-entendre minefield, and the chorus is more infectious than influenza. —Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026

The point is not mastery of any one skill but the deliberate replacement of screen time with hands-on time. —Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026

Students matriculate through grades without demonstrating a real mastery of standard. —Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

Trossard’s technical mastery was back up to speed. —Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maistrie, from Anglo-French mestrie, maistrie, from meistre master

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mastery

• self-mastery

Kids Definition

mastery

noun

mas·​tery ˈmas-t(ə-)rē 

plural masteries

1

: the position or authority of a master

2

: victory

3

: skill or knowledge that makes one master of something : command

a mastery of French