master
1 of 3noun
mas·ter ˈma-stər 
plural masters
1
a(1)
: a male teacher
(2)
: a person holding an academic degree higher than a bachelor's but lower than a doctor's
also : the degree itself
b
often capitalized : a revered religious leader
c
: a worker or artisan qualified to teach apprentices compare apprentice entry 1 sense 1b, journeyman sense 1
d(1)
: an artist, performer, or player of consummate (see consummate entry 1 sense 1) skill
(2)
: a great figure of the past (as in science or art) whose work serves as a model or ideal
2
a
: one having authority over another : ruler, governor
This decisive battle left him master of Europe.
b
: one that conquers or masters : victor, superior
in the new challenger the champion found his master
c
: a person licensed to command a merchant ship
d
: one having control
proved himself master of the situation
e
: an owner especially of an animal
f
: the employer especially of a servant
g
: a person who holds another person in slavery
h(1)
dialect : husband
(2)
: the male head of a household
3
a(1)
archaic : mr.
(2)
: a youth or boy too young to be called mister —used as a title
b
: the eldest son of a Scottish viscount or baron (see baron sense 2a)
4
a
: a presiding (see preside sense 2) officer in an institution or society (such as a college)
b
: any of several officers of court appointed to assist (as by hearing and reporting) a judge
5
a
: a master mechanism (see mechanism sense 1) or device
b
: an original from which copies can be made
especially : a master recording (such as a magnetic tape)
mastership
ˈma-stər-ˌship
noun master
2 of 3adjective
: being or relating to a master: such as
a
: having chief authority : dominant
b
: skilled, proficient
a prosperous master builder 
Current Biography
Current Biography c
: principal, predominant
d
: superlative —often used in combination
a master-liar
e
: being a device or mechanism that controls the operation of another mechanism or that establishes a standard (such as a dimension or weight)
f
: being or relating to a master from which duplicates are made
master
3 of 3verb
mastered; mastering ˈma-st(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
1
: to become master of : overcome
mastered his fears
2
a
: to become skilled or proficient in the use of
master a foreign language
b
: to gain a thorough understanding of
had mastered every aspect of publishing Current Biography
Current Biography3
: to produce a master recording of (something, such as a musical rendition)
Synonyms
Noun
- ace
- adept
- artist
- authority
- cognoscente
- connoisseur
- crackerjack
- crackajack
- dab [chiefly British]
- dab hand [chiefly British]
- expert
- fiend
- geek
- guru
- hand
- hotshot
- maestro
- maven
- mavin
- meister
- past master
- proficient
- scholar
- shark
- sharp
- virtuoso
- whiz
- wizard
Adjective
- arch
- big
- capital
- cardinal
- central
- chief
- dominant
- first
- foremost
- grand
- great
- greatest
- highest
- key
- leading
- main
- number one
- No. 1
- numero uno
- overbearing
- overmastering
- overriding
- paramount
- predominant
- preeminent
- premier
- primal
- primary
- principal
- prior
- sovereign
- sovran
- supreme
Verb
- beat
- best
- conquer
- defeat
- dispatch
- do down [British]
- get
- get around
- lick
- overbear
- overcome
- overmatch
- prevail (over)
- skunk
- stop
- subdue
- surmount
- take
- trim
- triumph (over)
- upend
- win (against)
- worst
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun the master and mistress of the house She is a master of her craft. Adjective a master craftsman who makes fine wood furniture of his own designs Verb She mastered French in college. He is determined to master every aspect of the business.
Recent Examples on the Web Caryn Franklin, CNN, 9 Sep. 2022 Hagemann has a master's in science communication and a background in earth science, most recently earning her wildland firefighter certification. Dominic Fracassa, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 Queen Elizabeth II—the Queen—was one of the great symbols of that age, though not a creator of it, a servant rather than a master. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 Court battles over who should serve as master and, later, whether that person’s review will have been fair could drag on for weeks, delaying the D.O.J. investigation. David Rohde, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022 The director was incredibly lucky to land Clarkson, a master of meaningful microexpressions, who excels at speaking volumes without opening her mouth. Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Sep. 2022 His lawyers continue to push for a document master. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 With a law degree from Loyola, a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and a Civic Orchestra fellowship from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a classical violinist, Hanna was accomplished in many fields. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Wilson, who earned a bachelor’s in social work and a master’s in organizational communication from Bowie State, is perhaps the loudest voice on the practice field. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2022 Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 May 2022 There is a private entrance to the master suite and office, a large guest suite with a bathroom and an ADU with a separate entry on the lower level. oregonlive, 27 June 2020 The interior features high ceilings, custom millwork, and walnut floors and paneling, and the master suite has his-and-her baths and closets, a sitting area, and a balcony. TheWeek, 27 June 2020 Is Keaton physically hunky enough to play the master CIA death machine? Michael Heaton, cleveland.com, 15 Sep. 2017 Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2022 Kemper started playing drums on demos at the studio, but quickly graduated to master recordings at the dawn of the Seventies. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2022 De Armas worked with a dialect coach and choreographer to master Monroe's essence. Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 30 Aug. 2022 Then, pre- or post-match, swap out your court shoes for a pair of loafers with socks to master the modern preppy trend. Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Aug. 2022 And pastels are easier to master than neon, so start with garments in dusty pink or a mint akin to Mr. Gosling’s red-carpet look. Todd Plummer, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 The ability to think, combined with emotions such as self-awareness, passion and aspiration, allows humans to master complex cognitive operations. Naveen Joshi, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 At MoFi’s headquarters, Esposito looked at tapes and machinery the company uses to master its records. Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 Just be sure to master at least one method that will work best for you. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
Later in life, Elizabeth established herself as master of the frock coat, dress and matching hat in colors as bold as purple, orange, red and fuchsia. Caryn Franklin, CNN, 9 Sep. 2022 Hagemann has a master's in science communication and a background in earth science, most recently earning her wildland firefighter certification. Dominic Fracassa, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 Queen Elizabeth II—the Queen—was one of the great symbols of that age, though not a creator of it, a servant rather than a master. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2022 Court battles over who should serve as master and, later, whether that person’s review will have been fair could drag on for weeks, delaying the D.O.J. investigation. David Rohde, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022 The director was incredibly lucky to land Clarkson, a master of meaningful microexpressions, who excels at speaking volumes without opening her mouth. Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Sep. 2022 His lawyers continue to push for a document master. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2022 With a law degree from Loyola, a master’s from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and a Civic Orchestra fellowship from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a classical violinist, Hanna was accomplished in many fields. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Wilson, who earned a bachelor’s in social work and a master’s in organizational communication from Bowie State, is perhaps the loudest voice on the practice field. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2022 Adjective
Some of the most intriguing whiskey coming out of Beam these days is the work of Freddie Noe (who now holds the title of co-master distiller with his father Fred Noe), specifically his Little Book lineup of blended whiskeys. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 May 2022 There is a private entrance to the master suite and office, a large guest suite with a bathroom and an ADU with a separate entry on the lower level. oregonlive, 27 June 2020 The interior features high ceilings, custom millwork, and walnut floors and paneling, and the master suite has his-and-her baths and closets, a sitting area, and a balcony. TheWeek, 27 June 2020 Is Keaton physically hunky enough to play the master CIA death machine? Michael Heaton, cleveland.com, 15 Sep. 2017 Verb
With strength comes responsibility to master that strength. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2022 Kemper started playing drums on demos at the studio, but quickly graduated to master recordings at the dawn of the Seventies. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2022 De Armas worked with a dialect coach and choreographer to master Monroe's essence. Kirbie Johnson, Allure, 30 Aug. 2022 Then, pre- or post-match, swap out your court shoes for a pair of loafers with socks to master the modern preppy trend. Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Aug. 2022 And pastels are easier to master than neon, so start with garments in dusty pink or a mint akin to Mr. Gosling’s red-carpet look. Todd Plummer, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 The ability to think, combined with emotions such as self-awareness, passion and aspiration, allows humans to master complex cognitive operations. Naveen Joshi, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022 At MoFi’s headquarters, Esposito looked at tapes and machinery the company uses to master its records. Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 Just be sure to master at least one method that will work best for you. Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun, Adjective, and Verb
Middle English, from Old English magister & Anglo-French meistre, both from Latin magister; akin to Latin magnus large — more at much
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Adjective
12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing master
Kids Definition
master 1 of 2
noun
mas·ter ˈma-stər
1
: a male teacher
2
: an artist or performer of great skill
He is a master at making desserts.
3
someone with authority over something
the master of a ship
4
the owner of a slave
5
the owner of an animal
6
—used as a title for a young boy too young to be called mister
Master Timothy Roe
master
2 of 2verb
mastered; mastering
1
: to get control of
You must master your fear.
2
: to become skillful at
I managed to master arithmetic.
Legal Definition
master 1 of 2
noun
mas·ter
1
: an individual or entity (as a corporation) having control or authority over another: as
a
: the owner of a slave
b
: employer compare servant
c
: principal sense 1a
2
: an officer of the court appointed (as under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53) to assist a judge in a particular case by hearing and reporting on the case, sometimes by making findings of fact and conclusions of law, and by performing various related functions
Note: Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a master may be a magistrate or else may be a person with some special expertise in the matter. The word master as used in the Federal Rules encompasses a referee, an auditor, an examiner, and an assessor. If the master makes findings of fact, they are reviewable de novo by the court except when the parties have stipulated that the findings will be reviewed for clear error or that the master's findings are to be final.
master
2 of 2adjective
: being the principal or controlling one : governing a number of subordinate like things
a master insurance policy
mastering
verb
1
as in overcoming
to achieve a victory over finally mastered her longtime opponent at chess Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- overcoming
- defeating
- conquering
- getting
- beating
- taking
- stopping
- dispatching
- subduing
- surmounting
- succeeding
- finishing
- licking
- trimming
- upending
- besting
- overmatching
- getting around
- doing down
- overbearing
- excelling
- burying
- surpassing
- worsting
- slaughtering
- scoring
- crushing
- sweeping
- overwhelming
- triumphing (over)
- excelling
- prevailing (over)
- routing
- getting the better of
- exceeding
- annihilating
- flattening
- knocking for a loop
- winning (against)
- skunking
- transcending
- whipping
- subjugating
- vanquishing
- breaking
- capping
- creaming
- topping
- bombing
- flourishing
- skinning
- blowing out
- bettering
- overthrowing
- thrashing
- clobbering
- upsetting
- outdoing
- waxing
- smoking
- blowing away
- overpowering
- eclipsing
- outstripping
- outshining
- pipping
- trouncing
- nosing out
- knocking over
- walloping
- drubbing
- shellacking
- edging (out)
- outdistancing
- unseating
- knocking off
- snowing under
- overtopping
- outfighting
- acing (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- losing (to)
- falling
- failing
- folding
- flunking
- collapsing
- washing out
- flopping
- going down
- going under
- giving up
2
as in learning
to acquire complete knowledge, understanding, or skill in I think I've mastered algebra at last Synonyms & Similar Words
- learning
- getting
- understanding
- discovering
- knowing
- studying
- comprehending
- seeing
- grasping
- memorizing
- assimilating
- hearing
- absorbing
- digesting
- apprehending
- picking up
- detecting
- imbibing
- examining
- ascertaining
- determining
- unearthing
- getting the hang of
- discerning
- running down
- finding out
- digging up
- descrying
- tracking (down)
- hitting (on or upon)
- tumbling (to)
- scaring up
- drinking (in)
- searching (for)
- majoring (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- forgetting
- unlearning
- ignoring
- missing
- neglecting
- disregarding
- overlooking
- misunderstanding
- heirs of entail
- heirs of inventory
- heirs of line
- heirs of provision
- heirs portioners
- heirs presumptive
- heirs whatsoever
- heirship
- heirships
- Heisenberg
- Heisenberg uncertainty principle
- Heisenberg's principle
- heishe
- heishi
- heist
- heisted
- heister
- heisters
- heisting
- heists
- heit
- heitikis
- hejabs
- Hejaz
- Hejazi