masterly
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
Commonly Confused
See masterful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of masterly
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English; see origin at master, -ly
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.
Writing about the U.N. deliberations on Iraq, Will gushed over Secretary of State Colin Powell’s supposedly sober, masterly and “unhistrionic” presentation.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2025
Military aficionados will love the jargon and tech, and Mr. Wilson does a masterly job of combining Native American experience and ancestral connection with modern warfare for a satisfying resolution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Doig, who received a midcareer retrospective at Tate Britain in 2018, is a figurative painter with a masterly flair for color and light.
From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2024
“Where Eve once seemed wild and inspired to Joan,” writes Anolik, “she now seemed slack and slothful. Where Joan once seemed meticulous and masterly to Eve, she now seemed dogged and doctrinaire.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2024
In the world were also dwarfs—ugly creatures, but masterly craftsmen, who lived under the earth; and elves, lovely sprites, who tended the flowers and streams.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
