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

• 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

These girls make up what the school’s fusty headmistress, Miss Mackay, derisively labels “the Brodie set.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 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

Headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh, who calls herself Britain’s strictest headmistress, said the ruling was a victory for all schools.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 16, 2024

It's been six years since "Girls" concluded, and since then Kirke has played a variety of acclaimed roles, including a strict headmistress on "Sex Education" and a charismatic author on "Conversations with Friends."

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2023

But who was this headmistress, this Peregrine woman?

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs