master of ceremonies

noun

1. a person who directs the entertainment at a party, dinner, nightclub, radio or television broadcast, or the like, acting as host and introducing the speakers or performers. M.C., MC

master of ceremonies

noun

1. MC. a person who presides over a public ceremony, formal dinner, or entertainment, introducing the events, performers, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of master of ceremonies¹

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

For the uninitiated, “Cabaret” begins with a marionette-like male character named the Emcee, the omnipresent master of ceremonies of an underground Kit Kat Club in 1931 Berlin, smiling into a warped mirror.

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President Trump is the ringmaster, master of ceremonies and star of this horrible spectacle.

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Sam White, 48, is a celebrant who acts as a master of ceremonies for milestone family events like weddings.

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"Of course, the ultimate indignity of this January 6 is that Donald Trump's opponent, Kamala Harris, because she is the vice president, serves as the master of ceremonies. Poor baby. But it does suck."

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"The British did all they could but they couldn’t break the spirit of Asante," shouted the master of ceremonies.

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Related Words

• emcee 
• moderator 
• ringmaster