Dictionary

mastery en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈmæs.tə.ɹi/ (Canada, General-American)
• [ˈmɑː.stɹi] (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈmæs.tɹi] (Canada, General-American)
• (UK) audio
• /ˈmɑː.stə.ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.
   • The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. Whirling wreaths and columns of burning wind, rushed around and over them. 1892, James Yoxall, chapter 5, in The Lonely Pyramid:
   • If divided by mountains, they will fight for the mastery of the passages of the tops. c. 1610, Sir Walter Raleigh, The Misery of Invasive War:
2. (uncountable, usually) Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preeminence.
   • Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Corinthians 9:–25:
   • O, but to ha' gulled him / Had been a mastery. 1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612, →OCLC, (please specify the Internet Archive page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
   • They were faire Ladies, till they fondly ſtriu’d / With th’Heliconian maides for mayſtery; / Of whom they ouer-comen, were depriu’d / Of their proud beautie, and th’one moyity / Transform’d to fiſh, for their bold ſurquedry, / But th’vpper halfe their hew retayned ſtill, / And their ſweet skill in wonted melody; / Which euer after they abuſd to ill, / T’allure weake traueillers, whom gotten they did kill. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 31, pages 370–371:
   • The voice of them that shout for mastery. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 32:xxxii–18:
3. (uncountable, usually) The act or process of mastering; the state of having mastered; expertise.
   • At Tebay however, he began to get the mastery over these untoward conditions, and actually got back a little time up to Shap, after which all was plain sailing. 1941 November, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 484:
   • He […]could attain to a mastery in all languages. 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], London: […] B. Aylmer, […]; [a]nd W. Rogers, […], published 1696, →OCLC:
   • The learning and mastery of a tongue, being unpleasant in itself, should not be cumbered with other difficulties. 1693, [John Locke], “§173”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
4. (obsolete, uncountable, usually) A contest for superiority.
   • Come, Paolo, we two have never held / A mastery between us — tell me out! 1929, Delphian Society, “Delphian Text”, in Paolo and Francesca, volume 7, page 441:
   • […] pastimes of wrestling, and like maſteries betweene the Citizens of London and others of the Suburbes […] 1623, John Speed, The Historie of Great Britain Under the Conquests of the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans, page 596:
   • Rury has given the word for some rare sport — a bout of games and masteries between me and Marcos Serkman to prove which is the better man. 1936, John Clayton, The Anger of the North, page 69:
5. (obsolete, uncountable, usually) A masterly operation; a feat.
   • Why, thou cowardly knave, no stronger than a duck, Darest thou try masteries with me a-pluck. 1905, John Stephen Farmer, “Thersites”, in Six Anonymous Plays, page 212:
   • Ye welsh men..brake out vpon the Englysshe men in ye Bordour..and there made masteryes for a whyle. 1516, Robert Fabyan, New cronycles of Englande and of Fraunce:
   • To accomplish this is a great mastery, a rare mastery: but it is an accomplishment that seems to have been Rowlandson's easily whenever he would. 1909, Selwyn Image, “The Serious Art of Thomas Rowlandson”, in The Burlington Magazine, volume 14, page 12:
   • And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. 1910, John Merrill Davis, Striving for Masteries and Other Baccalaureate Sermons, page 5:
   • That ye maye knowe..what masteryes they haue played. 1546, John Bale, The actes of Englysh votaryes:
   • By a number of odde speeches..you doo yet suppose to haue wrought a mastery. 1592, Angell Day, The English secretorie:
6. (obsolete, uncountable, usually) The philosopher's stone.

Forms

Deriveds

premastery · webmastery · mastery learning · self-mastery · nonmastery · flipped mastery

Relateds

master

Translations (37)

fi hallinta (superiority in war or competition) · ru превосхо́дство (superiority in war or competition) · fr maîtrise (act or process of mastering, expertise) · fi hallinta (act or process of mastering, expertise) · pt maestria (act or process of mastering, expertise) · ru овладе́ние (act or process of mastering, expertise) · fi ylivoima (superiority in war or competition) · es dominio (act or process of mastering, expertise) · hy վարպետություն (position or authority of a master) · hi काबू (position or authority of a master) · gl mestría (superiority in war or competition) · ru мастерство́ (masterly operation) · fi maineteko (masterly operation) · ru влады́чество (position or authority of a master) · bg ма́йсторство (masterly operation) · gl mestría (position or authority of a master) · vo mast (position or authority of a master) · fi valtataistelu (contest for superiority) · cs vláda (position or authority of a master) · la potestas (position or authority of a master) · ru власть (position or authority of a master) · ru госпо́дство (position or authority of a master) · cs nadvláda (position or authority of a master) · ru владе́ние (act or process of mastering, expertise) · fi määräysvalta (position or authority of a master) · vo mast (act or process of mastering, expertise) · hy վարպետություն (act or process of mastering, expertise) · fi uroteko (masterly operation) · it padronanza (act or process of mastering, expertise) · nb mestring (act or process of mastering, expertise) · gl mestría (act or process of mastering, expertise) · it maestria (act or process of mastering, expertise) · fi huippusuoritus (masterly operation) · fi hallinta (position or authority of a master) · ru борьба́ за власть (contest for superiority) · hi काबू (masterly operation) · cs mistrovství (act or process of mastering, expertise)