Masterful

How to spell masterful

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce masterful

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does masterful mean?

1. adjectivePerformed or done with great skill and expertise.
2. adjectivePowerful and authoritative in a way that expects to be obeyed.

Masterful in a sentence

• The chef gave a masterful demonstration of knife technique.

• He spoke in a masterful tone that left no room for argument.

• Her masterful handling of the negotiation impressed the whole board.

• The coach took a masterful approach with the unruly players.

Where does masterful come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word builds on master, which entered Old English as maegester and was reinforced after the Norman Conquest by Old French maistre, both descending from the Latin magister, meaning 'chief, director, or teacher'. That Latin noun was itself rooted in magis, 'more' or 'greater', so a magister was literally the 'greater' person, the one set above others. The adjective masterful appears in English from around the fourteenth century, first describing someone who behaved like a master: domineering, commanding, and imperious. Over time a softer sense developed, in which masterful simply praises great skill or expertise, the work of someone who has truly mastered a craft. Careful writers once reserved masterful for 'domineering' and 'masterly' for 'skilful', but the skill sense of masterful is now thoroughly established. The single -l ending of -ful (never -full) is the usual spelling trap.

How the word is built

• master (one in control, expert; from Latin magister, chief)
• -ful (full of, characterised by)