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⇱ masterful - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

masterful

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈmɑːstərfəl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈmæstɚfəl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(mas′tər fəl, mä′stər-)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mas•ter•ful /ˈmæstɚfəl/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. having or showing the qualities of a master;
    authoritative.
  2. done well;
    showing mastery;
    masterly:a masterful performance.
mas•ter•ful•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mas•ter•ful  (mas′tər fəl, mä′stər-),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. dominating;
    self-willed;
    imperious.
  2. having or showing the qualities of a master;
    authoritative;
    powerful.
  3. showing mastery or skill;
    masterly:a masterful performance.
  • 1300–50; Middle English; see master, -ful
mas′ter•ful•ly, adv. 
mas′ter•ful•ness, n. 
    1. peremptory. 3. consummate, supreme; adept, expert, skilled, skillful, matchless.
    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.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
masterful /ˈmɑːstəfʊl/ adj
  1. having or showing mastery
  2. fond of playing the master; imperious
ˈmasterfully adv ˈmasterfulness n USAGE
'masterful' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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