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
Weaver masterly balances both sides of the equation.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025
“Mask & Bone” by Jamesie Fournier is a slightly overwritten but otherwise masterly unmasking of ordinary family life that reveals ancient secrets and generational trauma of the supernatural kind.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025
Her performance was a delight, with a veneer of snobbery from which would emerge the masterly put down, particularly in the case of Mr Novello's failed movie.
From BBC • Sep. 27, 2024
“You mean the idiots that I handpicked for cowardice and ineptitude? Oh, yes, bravo, Your Highness. That was a masterly piece of combat,” said Ripred, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
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.
