maestro
Americannoun
-
maestros,
plural
-
maestri
plural
-
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Stargirl
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Phantom Tollbooth
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
That mindset has made him a horror maestro for over three decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Statistics from the last Premier League season do not feature Manchester City maestro Rodri as he continued his return from a anterior cruciate ligament injury.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
It had enlisted an unlikely negotiator: a celebrated Kenyan maestro who had come to enjoy the performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
The new CEO came into the role as an operational maestro who would bring a critical eye to that vast portfolio of businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
It was easy not to be serious about the old fellow, for he was that peculiar creation which ignorant people laugh at—a genuine maestro.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Just as much, those maestri would defer to Mr. Drucker’s interpretations of clarinet solos.
From New York Times ● Dec. 20, 2022
As an example let us take the case of the radio maestri.
From Time Magazine Archive
I have written three operas, and am a member of the Bologna Academy; I underwent a trial where several maestri toiled and labored for four or five hours, whereas I finished my work in one.
From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Ludwig Nohl
The art of Priscilla seems to me to satisfy this test much better than that of many of our modern maestri.
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, July 7th, 1920 by Various
It was established in one of the halls of the Lateran, and even the Carlovingian kings obtained from it skilful maestri and organists.
From Pagan and Christian Rome by Rodolfo Amedeo Lanciani
Donning video headsets and armed with nothing more than a joystick and the Olympics’ fastest fingers, these maestros have the exact same objective as the athlete they’re filming: to be the best in the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
A photo in his shop shows maestros Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Bhajan Sopori performing with his instruments.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2025
Speaking of midfield maestros, the mercurial Zidane has been out of management since leaving Barcelona's Clasico rivals Real Madrid in 2021.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2024
Just as maestros from overseas have assumed top conducting posts in the United States, American artists have gone to Europe, Asia and elsewhere to lead renowned ensembles.
From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2024
In the classical music world, 80 percent of the information available to the maestros was removed, and lo and behold, the maestros suddenly exercised much better judgment.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
