headmistress

American  

[hed-mis-tris] / ˈhɛdˈmɪs trɪs /

noun

1. a woman in charge of a private school.

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headmistress British  

/ ˌhɛdˈmistrəs /

noun

1. Gender-neutral form: head teacher.  a female principal of a school

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Gender

See -ess.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• headmistress-ship
  noun
• headmistressship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of headmistress

First recorded in 1870–75; head + mistress

Explanation

A headmistress is the female principal of a school, particularly a private school. You might need to ask the headmistress of your high school for a college recommendation. Private schools and prep schools often call the person in charge a headmaste if he's a man and a headmistress if she's a woman. It's more common to have a principal in the United States, especially in public schools. The word headmistress is commonly thought of as British, but it's increasingly likely that a British student will use the term head teacher instead, since it can refer to either a man or a woman.

Example Sentences

“Of course, clubs aren’t clubs as they used to be,” said Agnes Nugent, 76, a retired headmistress, who joined the Rand Club in the early 1990s as one of its first female members.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

"Over the years, we had lower and lower people who decided to come to this school," the headmistress says, in English, hinting at tensions.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2025

Her late-onset acclaim as the loyal deputy headmistress charged with Gryffindor House in the much-hyped wizard franchise was to be expected.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024

Yeoh plays the headmistress at their school, and, the studio recently announced, Peter Dinklage will be Dr. Dillamond, a history professor and goat.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024

The headmistress stood on the cobblestones looking up at us, but no one wanted to touch her.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs