mastery

noun

mas·​tery ˈma-st(ə-)rē 

1

a

: the authority of a master : dominion

b

: the upper hand in a contest or competition : superiority, ascendancy

2

a

: possession or display of great skill or technique

b

: skill or knowledge that makes one master of a subject : command

Synonyms

• command
• IQ
• mastership
• proficiency

Examples of mastery in a Sentence

We were impressed by her mastery of the subject.

She achieved a complete mastery of French.

He struggled to gain mastery of his fears.

Recent Examples on the Web

Alexander Chee is an exquisite writer, and this novel is proof of his mastery on the sentence level. —Kristen Arnett, TIME, 4 June 2024

The result was Pet Sounds, a stunning work of musical mastery and lyrical maturity, frequently ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time. —Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024

Then, as the scene cuts to Elaine and DeSean inside the office, the mastery of the set design becomes obvious, mostly because of what the audience cannot see. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 31 May 2024

Developing your team members’ mastery of the AI and ML skills your team needs requires a learning program that delivers the following: One-on-one tutoring. —IEEE Spectrum, 9 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maistrie, from Anglo-French mestrie, maistrie, from meistre master

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mastery

• self-mastery

Kids Definition

mastery

noun

mas·​tery ˈmas-t(ə-)rē 

plural masteries

1

: the position or authority of a master

2

: victory

3

: skill or knowledge that makes one master of something : command

a mastery of French