Standard Lemma guide

mastery

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmɑːs.t(ə.)ɹi/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈmæs.tɚ.i/
  • CMU ARPABET: M AE1 S T ER0 IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preeminence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act or process of mastering; the state of having mastered; expertise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A contest for superiority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A masterly operation; a feat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The philosopher's stone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

the act of mastering or subordinating someone

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: subordination

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: domination

8

noun

Meaning 8

great skillfulness and knowledge of some subject or activity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a good command of French

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: command, control

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: skillfulness

9

noun

Meaning 9

power to dominate or defeat

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • mastery of the seas

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: domination, supremacy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dominance, ascendance, ascendence, ascendancy, ascendency, control

Narrower terms: transcendence, transcendency, superiority

History

Etymology

From Middle English maistery, maistrie, mastere, mastry, from Old French maistrie, equivalent to master + -y.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: վարպետություն (varpetutʻyun) — position or authority of a master
  • Czech: vláda — position or authority of a master
  • Czech: nadvláda — position or authority of a master
  • Finnish: hallinta — position or authority of a master
  • Finnish: määräysvalta — position or authority of a master
  • Galician: mestría — position or authority of a master
  • Hindi: काबू (kābū) — position or authority of a master
  • Latin: potestas — position or authority of a master
  • Russian: госпо́дство (gospódstvo) — position or authority of a master
  • Russian: власть (vlastʹ) — position or authority of a master
  • Russian: влады́чество (vladýčestvo) — position or authority of a master
  • Volapük: mast — position or authority of a master
  • Finnish: hallinta — superiority in war or competition
  • Finnish: ylivoima — superiority in war or competition
  • Galician: mestría — superiority in war or competition
  • Russian: превосхо́дство (prevosxódstvo) — superiority in war or competition
  • Finnish: valtataistelu — contest for superiority
  • Russian: борьба́ за власть (borʹbá za vlastʹ) — contest for superiority
  • Bulgarian: ма́йсторство (májstorstvo) — masterly operation
  • Finnish: huippusuoritus — masterly operation
  • Finnish: maineteko — masterly operation
  • Finnish: uroteko — masterly operation
  • Hindi: काबू (kābū) — masterly operation
  • Russian: мастерство́ (masterstvó) — masterly operation
  • Armenian: վարպետություն (varpetutʻyun) — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Czech: mistrovství — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Finnish: hallinta — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • French: maîtrise — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Galician: mestría — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Italian: padronanza — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Italian: maestria — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mestring — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Portuguese: maestria — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Russian: владе́ние (vladénije) — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Russian: овладе́ние (ovladénije) — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Spanish: dominio — act or process of mastering, expertise
  • Volapük: mast — act or process of mastering, expertise