Master

/ˈmɑːs.tə/ adj, name, noun, verb

adj, name, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Elementary level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Someone who has control over something or someone.
  • Grammar: master is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: maestro, original, a per se, abecedarian.
  • Useful contrasts: abecedarian, abigail, amateur.
  • Usage evidence: It's quite difficult to master French in 2 or 3 years.

How to use "master"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "master" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "master" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "master" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "master" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "master" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "maestro" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "master", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone who has control over something or someone.

    "We are masters of the sea."

  2. 2
    A vessel having a specified number of masts. in-compounds

    "a two-master"

  3. 3
    Prepended to a boy's name or surname as a (now somewhat formal) form of address.

    ""I'm terribly sorry, Master Luke," apologized the droid."

  4. 4
    an original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be made wordnet
  5. 5
    The owner of an animal or slave.
Show 35 more definitions
  1. 6
    A religious teacher, often as an honorific title.
  2. 7
    key that secures entrance everywhere wordnet
  3. 8
    The captain of a merchant ship; a master mariner.

    "Master at two-and-twenty, and married at twenty-three—"

  4. 9
    The title of the head of certain colleges and schools.
  5. 10
    presiding officer of a school wordnet
  6. 11
    A male head of household. dated
  7. 12
    A master's degree.
  8. 13
    an artist of consummate skill wordnet
  9. 14
    Someone who employs others.

    "No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait."

  10. 15
    A person holding a master's degree, as a title.
  11. 16
    an authority qualified to teach apprentices wordnet
  12. 17
    An expert at something.

    "Mark Twain was a master of fiction."

  13. 18
    The title of the eldest son of a Scots lord.

    "The eldest son of Lord Forbes is known as the Master of Forbes."

  14. 19
    directs the work of others wordnet
  15. 20
    A tradesman who is qualified to teach apprentices.
  16. 21
    The owner of a slave, in some literature.
  17. 22
    someone who holds a master's degree from academic institution wordnet
  18. 23
    A male schoolteacher. dated
  19. 24
    Used as the title of a dominant, especially a male one.
  20. 25
    an officer who is licensed to command a merchant ship wordnet
  21. 26
    A skilled artist.
  22. 27
    a person who has general authority over others wordnet
  23. 28
    A man or a boy; mister. See Master. dated

    "Where there are little Maſters and Miſſes in a Houſe, they are uſually great Impediments to the Diverſions of the Servants;"

  24. 29
    a combatant who is able to defeat rivals wordnet
  25. 30
    A master's degree; a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree.

    "She has a master in psychology."

  26. 31
    A person holding such a degree.

    "He is a master of marine biology."

  27. 32
    The original of a document or of a recording.

    "The band couldn't find the master, so they re-recorded their tracks."

  28. 33
    The copyright in a sound recording. broadly

    "Many modern recording artists value owning their masters."

  29. 34
    The primary wide shot of a scene, into which the closeups will be edited later.
  30. 35
    A parajudicial officer (such as a referee, an auditor, an examiner, or an assessor) specially appointed to help a court with its proceedings.

    "The case was tried by a master, who concluded that the plaintiffs were the equitable owners of the property.[…]"

  31. 36
    A device that is controlling other devices or is an authoritative source.

    "a master wheel"

  32. 37
    A person holding an office of authority, especially the presiding officer.
  33. 38
    A person holding a similar office in other civic societies. broadly
  34. 39
    Ellipsis of master key. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

    "The use of masters and submasters will enable suites of rooms to be controlled by one key."

  35. 40
    A male dominant.
Verb
  1. 1
    To be a master. intransitive
  2. 2
    have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of wordnet
  3. 3
    To become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue. transitive

    "Obstinacy and willful neglects must be mastered, even though it cost blows."

  4. 4
    be or become completely proficient or skilled in wordnet
  5. 5
    To learn to a high degree of proficiency. transitive

    "It took her years to master the art of needlecraft."

Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    get on top of; deal with successfully wordnet
  2. 7
    To own; to possess. obsolete, transitive

    "[…]the wealth / That the world maſters."

  3. 8
    have dominance or the power to defeat over wordnet
  4. 9
    To make a master copy of. especially, transitive
  5. 10
    To earn a Master's degree. intransitive, usually

    "He mastered in English at the state college."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Masterful. not-comparable

    "a master performance"

  2. 2
    Main, principal or predominant. not-comparable
  3. 3
    Highly skilled. not-comparable

    "master batsman"

  4. 4
    Original. not-comparable

    "master copy"

Adjective
  1. 1
    most important element wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    One of the triune gods of the Horned God in Wicca alongside the Father and Sage and representing a boy or a young man.

    "...and our Lord as Master, Father, and Sage."

  2. 2
    Mastercard
  3. 3
    A surname.

Synonyms

All synonyms
maestrooriginala per seabecedarianabsorbacademic dean

Example

"It's quite difficult to master French in 2 or 3 years."

Common questions

What does "master" mean?

Someone who has control over something or someone.

What is a synonym for "master"?

Common synonyms include: maestro, original, a per se, abecedarian, absorb, academic dean.

How do you use "master" in a sentence?

It's quite difficult to master French in 2 or 3 years.

How do you pronounce "master"?

Pronounced /ˈmɑːs.tə/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English maister, mayster, meister (noun) and maistren (verb), from Old English mǣster, mæġster, mæġester, mæġister, magister (“master”), from Latin magister (“chief, teacher, leader”), from Old Latin magester, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (as in magnus (“great”), also cognate of English much and mickle) + -ester/-ister (compare minister (“servant”)). Reinforced by Old French maistre, mestre (noun) and maistriier, maister (verb) from the same Latin source. Compare also Saterland Frisian Mäster (“master”), West Frisian master (“master”), Dutch meester (“master”), German Meister (“master”). Doublet of maestro, magister, and meister.

Etymology 2

From mast + -er.

More for "master"

Synonyms

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