masterly

[ mas-ter-lee, mah-ster- ]

/ ˈmæs tər li, ˈmɑ stər- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR masterly ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

like or befitting a master, as in skill or art; worthy of a master; very skillful: a masterly presentation of the budget.

adverb

in a masterly manner.

Nearby words

master-at-arms, master-plan, master-slave manipulator, masterclass, masterful, masterly, mastermind, masterpiece, masters, mastership, mastersinger

Origin of masterly

First recorded in 1375–1425, masterly is from the late Middle English word maisterly. See master, -ly

Related forms

mas·ter·li·ness, noun

Can be confused

masterful masterly (see usage note at masterful)

Usage note

See masterful.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for masterly

How her role became more “maternal rather than marital,” and branding Hawking an “all-powerful emperor” and “masterly puppeteer.”
The Other Side of Stephen Hawking: Strippers, Aliens, and Disturbing Abuse Claims|Marlow Stern|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ten years of sweat by Charles Graeber lead to a masterly account of a man trusted to heal who instead killed with impunity.
My Favorite Books of 2013: Jill Lepore, Adelle Waldman, James Salter & More|Lucas Wittmann|December 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
How he did it in the year 1973 is explained by Horne in a masterly and compelling way.
Inside Kissinger's Brain|Andrew Roberts|June 15, 2009|DAILY BEAST
I grinned behind the spy's back at this masterly way of getting George's servant to do James's work.
The Yeoman Adventurer|George W. Gough

He is now best known from Dryden's masterly portrait of him in the "Absalom and Achitophel."
The Town|Leigh Hunt
He knew the excessive apprehension felt at the North for the safety of Washington city, and he played upon it with masterly skill.
The History of the Confederate War, Its Causes and Its Conduct, Volume I (of 2)|George Cary Eggleston
Once or twice, when a Master thought his was turned, he caught the same look in Masterly eyes, directed at him or at Lanze.
A Slave is a Slave|Henry Beam Piper
To those who have read of his masterly solution of the diamond cross mystery the colonel needs no introduction.
The Golf Course Mystery|Chester K. Steele

British Dictionary definitions for masterly

masterly

/ (ˈmɑːstəlɪ) /

adjective

of the skill befitting a mastera masterly performance

Derived Forms

masterliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012