masterful
Americanadjective
-
dominating; self-willed; imperious.
- Synonyms:
- peremptory
-
having or showing the qualities of a master; authoritative; powerful.
-
showing mastery or skill; masterly.
a masterful performance.
adjective
-
having or showing mastery
-
fond of playing the master; imperious
-
masterly
Usage
The use of masterful to mean masterly as in a masterful performance , although common, is considered incorrect by many people
Commonly Confused
At an earlier time, both masterful and masterly had two senses: “having a commanding or domineering nature or manner” and “possessing the skill of a master.” The earliest sense of masterly, “having a commanding nature,” has been obsolete since the 18th century. Masterful continues to be used in all varieties of speech and writing in both senses, despite the protests of some who prefer that masterful be restricted to the sense “dominating or imperious”: The envoy's masterful behavior irritated the citizens. Few painters have produced so many masterful (or masterly ) portraits.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of masterful
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; see origin at master, -ful
Explanation
Someone masterful is really good at a particular task or skill. A masterful pianist is accomplished and experienced — in other words, she plays extremely well. A masterful stone mason builds beautiful, sturdy walls, and a masterful math teacher is capable of teaching even students who think they hate math how to solve complex equations. An alternate way to use this word is to mean "like a master" or "controlling and powerful." In fact, this is the word's original meaning, from the Latin root word magister, "chief, head, or director."
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.
Captain Temba Bavuma dragged South Africa back into their Test series against Australia with a masterful 179 on day three in Gqeberha.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
That’s either a masterful, high-stakes long game of passive-aggressive behavior or a level of stubbornness and unwillingness to acknowledge a mistake that is quickly and badly damaging the show’s reputation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
El-Sayed’s appearance on Monday with MacCallum was masterful policy communication.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Epstein was a masterful liar, and he clearly lied to me,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of eternity laughing at the futility of life and the effort of life.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
