maestro
Americannoun
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an eminent composer, teacher, or conductor of music.
Toscanini and other great maestros.
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(initial capital letter) a title of respect used in addressing or referring to such a person.
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a master of any art.
the maestros of poetry.
noun
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a distinguished music teacher, conductor, or musician
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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
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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.
Indeed, the Maestro was famous for being deliberately ambiguous to keep the financial markets guessing.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
Gussalli Beretta, the 64-year-old 15th-generation descendant of company founder Maestro Bartolomeo Beretta, calls Ruger’s characterizations of his takeover aspirations “fake news.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Loosely inspired by the career of comedian John Bishop, Is This Thing On? is the third film directed by Bradley Cooper after A Star Is Born and Maestro.
From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025
The movie, which follows Cooper's 2018 directorial debut "A Star Is Born" and 2023's "Maestro", has earned critical acclaimed since premiering at the New York Film Festival last week.
From Barron's • Oct. 15, 2025
But no matter how hard she tried to position her tongue and her lips and her fingers the way Maestro Messina instructed, the notes still came out sour.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
