maestro
Americannoun
plural
maestros-
an eminent composer, teacher, or conductor of music.
Toscanini and other great maestros.
-
(initial capital letter) a title of respect used in addressing or referring to such a person.
-
a master of any art.
the maestros of poetry.
noun
-
a distinguished music teacher, conductor, or musician
-
any man regarded as the master of an art: often used as a term of address
Etymology
Origin of maestro
1790–1800; < Italian: master
Explanation
A maestro is an artistic master: someone who is skilled enough to be considered an artistic genius. Taking one music class or art class can teach you a lot, but it won't make you a maestro. Maestro (which comes from Italian) is reserved for people with an enormous amount of skill and talent. This word can apply to any type of artist — and sometimes, to people with impressive skills in other areas — but it's most commonly applied to musicians. Master composers, pianists, cellists, guitarists, and conductors are often called maestros.
Vocabulary lists containing maestro
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Stargirl
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The director, Antoine Fuqua, a maestro of action thrillers such as “The Equalizer” trilogy, is surprisingly deft with the musical sequences.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Add in the quality of England winger Lauren Hemp, Japan's midfield maestro Yui Hasegawa and January signing Sam Coffey, City boast a terrifying line-up.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
The late Vicente Fernández, the beloved actor and Grammy-winning maestro of the mariachi and ranchera genres, was affectionately known as “El Charro de Huentitán,” after his hometown in Jalisco.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
Nigerian writer and poet Dami Ajayi described him as a "highlife maestro" and a "fantastic guitarist".
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
Gravely wounded in World War I, he had survived and returned an even greater maestro.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
