masterful
Americanadjective
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dominating; self-willed; imperious.
- Synonyms:
- peremptory
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having or showing the qualities of a master; authoritative; powerful.
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showing mastery or skill; masterly.
a masterful performance.
adjective
-
having or showing mastery
-
fond of playing the master; imperious
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masterly
Usage
The use of masterful to mean masterly as in a masterful performance , although common, is considered incorrect by many people
Commonly Confused
At an earlier time, both masterful and masterly had two senses: “having a commanding or domineering nature or manner” and “possessing the skill of a master.” The earliest sense of masterly, “having a commanding nature,” has been obsolete since the 18th century. Masterful continues to be used in all varieties of speech and writing in both senses, despite the protests of some who prefer that masterful be restricted to the sense “dominating or imperious”: The envoy's masterful behavior irritated the citizens. Few painters have produced so many masterful (or masterly ) portraits.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of masterful
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at master, -ful
Explanation
Someone masterful is really good at a particular task or skill. A masterful pianist is accomplished and experienced — in other words, she plays extremely well. A masterful stone mason builds beautiful, sturdy walls, and a masterful math teacher is capable of teaching even students who think they hate math how to solve complex equations. An alternate way to use this word is to mean "like a master" or "controlling and powerful." In fact, this is the word's original meaning, from the Latin root word magister, "chief, head, or director."
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.
Masterful France captain Dupont again glided through the Welsh defence but centre Brau-Boirie lost possession with the try-line beckoning.
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026
Masterful in scope and full of rich detail, the first volume on Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career, out Tuesday from Dey Street Books, kicks off the authors' ambitious literary biography series in fine style.
From Salon • Dec. 11, 2022
Masterful pizzaioli there are elevating a humble tradition to tasting-menu status, deploying truffles, buffalo mozzarella and triple-cooked crust in their quest to make pizza into an art form.
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022
Masterful marketing campaigns encourage overspending and the accumulation of debt.
From Washington Post • Mar. 30, 2022
Masterful Lukas Meyer next entered, and after him came the pride of the army, Louis Botha, soldier and gentleman, followed by several officers.
From With Steyn and De Wet by Pienaar, Philip
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.
