masterful
[ mas-ter-fuhl, mah-ster- ]
/ ˈmæs tər fəl, ˈmɑ stər- /
adjective
SYNONYMS FOR masterful
1
peremptory.
usage note for masterful
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.
OTHER WORDS FROM masterful
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH masterful
masterful masterly (see usage note at the current entry)Words nearby masterful
Example sentences from the Web for masterfully
British Dictionary definitions for masterfully
masterful
/ (ˈmɑːstəfʊl) /
adjective
having or showing mastery
fond of playing the master; imperious
masterly
Derived forms of masterful
masterfully, adverb masterfulness, nounusage for masterful
The use of
masterful to mean masterly as in
a masterful performance, although common, is considered incorrect by many people