Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

mastermind

American  
[mas-ter-mahynd, mah-ster-] / ˈmæs tərˌmaɪnd, ˈmɑ stər- /

verb (used with object)

  • masterminds,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • masterminded,
    past participle,  past
  • masterminding
    present participle
  1. to plan and direct (a usually complex project or activity), especially skillfully.

    Two colonels had masterminded the revolt.


noun

  • masterminds
    plural
  1. a person who originates or is primarily responsible for the execution of a particular idea, project, or the like.

    the masterminds of company policy.

mastermind British  
/ ˈmɑːstəˌmaɪnd /

verb

  1. (tr) to plan and direct (a complex undertaking)

    he masterminded the robbery

"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

noun

  1. a person of great intelligence or executive talent, esp one who directs an undertaking

"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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of mastermind

First recorded in 1710–20; master + mind

Explanation

A mastermind is a brilliant thinker with original ideas. You might be a chess mastermind or a criminal mastermind: either way, people will not want to oppose you. Inventors, intellectuals, and famous geniuses call all be called masterminds, from Albert Einstein to theoretical physicist Dr. Shirley Jackson. You could also call people who are successful in their fields — especially if they come up with new ways of doing things — masterminds. Even a brilliant jewel thief might be called a safe-cracking mastermind. As a verb, to mastermind is to act as the leader of some complex plan or scheme.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

See Examples For:

Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad said authorities were working with Interpol to track down the mastermind behind the operations.

From BBC Aug. 11, 2026

Over two decades, Redzepi has come to embody the institution, serving as both its mastermind and frontman—the equivalent, in Formula One terms, of Ferrari’s Frédéric Vasseur and Charles Leclerc rolled into one.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 4, 2026

Soccer and the mastermind behind that World Cup — created for the 23 players who will wear the U.S. crest at home this summer.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 7, 2026

Five Albanian nationals were arrested, including the suspected mastermind and owner of the call centre, who was remanded into custody pending trial.

From Barron's Jun. 5, 2026

“This criminal mastermind, the one behind this elaborate scheme...”

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Notably, First Light was the last project supervised by Bond masterminds Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson before they gave creative control to the franchise's new owners, Amazon MGM Studios.

From BBC Jun. 13, 2026

The general assured them he distinguished between the masterminds behind the uprising and soldiers ordered to carry it out.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 12, 2026

The church had previous accused successive governments of failing to identify the masterminds behind the bombings.

From Barron's Feb. 25, 2026

Ross and Matt Duffer, the sibling masterminds behind Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” are closer to finding out if they’ve achieved that in the eyes of the show’s fans.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 25, 2025

The boy who had thought of a mouse to turn his windmill had thought out some of the sublimest things in nature, and was henceforward to rank as one of the few masterminds of science.

From Famous Men of Science by Sarah K. Bolton

And then in 2024 he masterminded the Kursk attack -- the first sustained foreign incursion into Russia since WWII.

From Barron's Jul. 21, 2026

A whole new genre of celebrity divorce: Slate’s Scaachi Koul considers how Bunnie Xo, an archetypical “Cool Girl,” seems to have masterminded a new strategy for getting divorced in the public eye.

From Slate Jul. 16, 2026

By comparison, the total illegal profit from the insider-trading scheme masterminded by hedge-fund titan Raj Rajaratnam was $53.8 million.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

The new stage adaptation is being masterminded by Tilted Musicals, the production company run by Girls Aloud songwriter Miranda Cooper and producer Sam Hodges.

From BBC Apr. 21, 2026

After all, who hung out with Cap before he ever drove a bus, or masterminded a dance?

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Ramírez considered herself one of the creative directors of the cohort, masterminding video shoots and making sure their social media marketing stayed consistent with the festival’s branding.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 29, 2026

They square the circle of Swift masterminding a full-scale trolling of media and fans while simultaneously hosting a cotton-candy celebrity circus.

From Salon Jul. 9, 2026

Whoever Benfica draw, few would rule out Mourinho masterminding something special at the Bernabeu or San Siro.

From BBC Jan. 28, 2026

Low is alleged to have gained his wealth after masterminding a scheme to steal billions from 1Malaysia Development Bhd., or 1MDB, a Malaysian sovereign-wealth fund.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 21, 2025

Postecoglou lasted just two turbulent seasons as Tottenham boss before being sacked in June -- only 16 days after masterminding their Europa League final victory over Manchester United.

From Barron's Oct. 18, 2025

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training