mastery

[mas-tuh-ree, mah-stuh-]

See more synonyms for mastery on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural mas·ter·ies for 1, 4.

command or grasp, as of a subject: a mastery of Italian.
superiority or victory: mastery over one's enemies.
the act of mastering.

expert skill or knowledge.
the state of being master; power of command or control.

Origin of mastery

1175–1225; master + -y³; replacing Middle English maistrie < Old French

Related formsnon·mas·ter·y, noun, plural non·mas·ter·ies.pre·mas·ter·y, nounre·mas·ter·y, noun, plural re·mas·ter·ies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for mastery

dexterity, prowess, knowledge, familiarity, understanding, proficiency, genius, know-how, comprehension, grasp, finesse, skill, knack, ability, wizardry, virtuosity, grip, ken, expertness, capacity

Examples from the Web for mastery

Contemporary Examples of mastery

Mark Twain famously said courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.
Rudy Giuliani on His 9/11 Bluff, the Museum Controversy and the Rise of ISIS
Josh Robin
September 11, 2014
In most battles, the rounds focus on battlers tearing each other down or hyping their own mastery of battle skills.
America’s Poets: Battle Rap Gets Real
Rich Goldstein
July 15, 2014
Here, the founder of the law and literature movement shows his mastery in bringing literature to philosophical bloom.
Liberals Need to Learn to Say No
Bernhard Schlink
July 10, 2014
The high street purchases will reinforce perception of Kate's mastery of the common touch.
Kate Shops At Baby Gap For George
Tom Sykes
April 1, 2014
Hilary Mantel has redefined the genre of historical fiction and her mastery of the novel form is magnificent.
Week in the Life of Dan Stevens, 2012 Man Booker Prize Judge & Downton Abbey Star
Henry Krempels
October 19, 2012

Historical Examples of mastery

I refer, of course, to man's mastery over the latent forces of Nature.
'Tis Sixty Years Since
Charles Francis Adams
For his love's sake, he must seize on this opportunity given of fate to him for mastery.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
Mastery of his rules will not help another to win business success.
Understanding the Scriptures
Francis McConnell
The latter is complete—it is the mastery of an originator of style.
The Letters of Robert Burns
Robert Burns
There remains yet the fifth act in which one would think they should show their mastery.
The Praise of Folly
Desiderius Erasmus

British Dictionary definitions for mastery

mastery

noun plural -teries

full command or understanding of a subject
outstanding skill; expertise
the power of command; control
victory or superiority

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

Word Origin and History for mastery

early 13c., mesterie, "condition of being a master," also "superiority, victory;" from Old French maistrie, from maistre "master" (see master (n.)). Meaning "intellectual command" (of a topic, etc.) is from 1660s.