schoolmaster
noun
school·mas·ter
ˈskül-ˌma-stər 
1
: a man who teaches school
2
: one that disciplines or directs
3
: a reddish-brown edible snapper (Lutjanus apodus) of the tropical Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico
schoolmasterly
adjective
Examples of schoolmaster in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the tiny community of Baile Beag, lessons bend to the hedge teacher’s whim—and, in this case, the white-bearded schoolmaster Hugh (Seán McGinley) loves the classics.
—
Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Set in a deteriorating boys school, the ghostly French thriller centers on the wife of a domineering schoolmaster (Paul Meurisse) whose continual abuse eventually inspires his wife (Clouzot) and mistress (Signoret) to join forces and plot his murder.
—Elaina Patton, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2023
But as an older man, a schoolmaster, Kennedy Manyika was wary of his children taking too much interest in music.
—Andrew Holter, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2023
Her mother was born the daughter of a Methodist schoolmaster but was orphaned and taken in by a Muslim man who prayed five times a day.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 30 June 2023
The book has its share of heavy-handedness, to be sure: the busts of Voltaire and Frederick the Great, standing in for reason and brute power, respectively, that sit in opposite corners of a schoolmaster’s office; a stain on the wall of one character’s apartment that grows as his situation worsens.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2022
When Donald Trump took presidential office, she was cast briefly as the great defender of the Western liberal order, a reputation burnished by an unforgettable 2018 picture of Merkel glaring across the table at Trump like a stern schoolmaster about to scold a truculent pupil.
—Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2021
In the 1760s, an English schoolmaster named John Entick hacked trespass law, which previously only applied to citizens invading each other’s property, to constrain the government as well.
—Bruce Schneier, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
Michelle Yeoh also plays a professor and Laurence Fishburne is the schoolmaster.
—Rodney Ho, ajc, 16 Oct. 2022
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Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Set in a deteriorating boys school, the ghostly French thriller centers on the wife of a domineering schoolmaster (Paul Meurisse) whose continual abuse eventually inspires his wife (Clouzot) and mistress (Signoret) to join forces and plot his murder.
—Elaina Patton, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2023
But as an older man, a schoolmaster, Kennedy Manyika was wary of his children taking too much interest in music.
—Andrew Holter, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2023
Her mother was born the daughter of a Methodist schoolmaster but was orphaned and taken in by a Muslim man who prayed five times a day.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 30 June 2023
The book has its share of heavy-handedness, to be sure: the busts of Voltaire and Frederick the Great, standing in for reason and brute power, respectively, that sit in opposite corners of a schoolmaster’s office; a stain on the wall of one character’s apartment that grows as his situation worsens.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2022
When Donald Trump took presidential office, she was cast briefly as the great defender of the Western liberal order, a reputation burnished by an unforgettable 2018 picture of Merkel glaring across the table at Trump like a stern schoolmaster about to scold a truculent pupil.
—Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2021
In the 1760s, an English schoolmaster named John Entick hacked trespass law, which previously only applied to citizens invading each other’s property, to constrain the government as well.
—Bruce Schneier, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
Michelle Yeoh also plays a professor and Laurence Fishburne is the schoolmaster.
—Rodney Ho, ajc, 16 Oct. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'schoolmaster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of schoolmaster was
in the 13th century
Dictionary Entries Near schoolmaster
Cite this Entry
“Schoolmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schoolmaster. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
schoolmaster
noun
school·mas·ter
-ˌmas-tər
: a man who teaches school
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for schoolmaster
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