mastermind

1 of 2

noun

mas·​ter·​mind ˈma-stər-ˌmīnd How to pronounce mastermind (audio)
ˌmas-tər-ˈ
: a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project

mastermind

2 of 2

verb

masterminded; masterminding; masterminds

transitive verb

: to be the mastermind of

Examples of mastermind in a Sentence

Noun the mastermind behind the terrorist plot the real mastermind behind the embezzlement scheme Verb They masterminded a unique solution to the problem. He masterminded the bank robbery.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
He's been called many times one of the masterminds of January 6th, and he essentially is accused of plotting to basically trying to undermine democracy and overthrow democracy by stopping Congress from ratifying and counting the votes on January 6th to endorse the 2020 election. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 Instead, there’s an eventual pileup of scheming contrivances that require us to believe a character painted all along as sweetly uncomplicated was really harboring the deviousness of a criminal mastermind. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
Leonard Glenn Francis, a former defense contractor convicted for masterminding an unprecedented bribery and fraud scheme targeting the U.S. Navy, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 15 years in prison. Elias Lopez, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024 He was also found guilty of masterminding an early-morning attack on a seafood restaurant in Tel Aviv that killed three civilians in March 2002. Daniele Hamamdjian, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mastermind 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mastermind was in 1872

Dictionary Entries Near mastermind

Cite this Entry

“Mastermind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mastermind. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mastermind

noun
mas·​ter·​mind
ˈmas-tər-ˌmīnd,
ˌmas-tər-ˈmīnd
: a person who invents or directs a project
mastermind verb

More from Merriam-Webster on mastermind

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!