Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Possession of consummate skill.
  • noun The status of master or ruler; control.
  • noun Full command of a subject of study.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state of being a master; power of command or control; rule; dominion; sway.
  • noun Ascendancy in war or in competition; the upper hand; superiority; preëminence.
  • noun Expert knowledge or skill; power of using or exercising; dexterity: as, the mastery of an art or science.
  • noun Masterly attainment; the gaining of mastership.
  • noun A contest for superiority.
  • noun A masterly operation or act; a triumph of skill.
  • noun The finding of the magisterium or philosopher's stone; also, the stone itself.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.
  • noun Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preëminence.
  • noun obsolete Contest for superiority.
  • noun obsolete A masterly operation; a feat.
  • noun obsolete the philosopher's stone.
  • noun The act process of mastering; the state of having mastered.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The position or authority of a master; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority.
  • noun Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preeminence.
  • noun obsolete Contest for superiority.
  • noun obsolete A masterly operation; a feat.
  • noun obsolete The philosopher's stone.
  • noun The act or process of mastering; the state of having mastered; expertise.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun great skillfulness and knowledge of some subject or activity
  • noun power to dominate or defeat
  • noun the act of mastering or subordinating someone

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French maistrie.

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