masterly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈma-stər-lē How to pronounce masterly (audio)
Definition of masterlynext
1
as in virtuoso
accomplished with trained ability a masterly performance of one of the most difficult ballets in the repertory

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skillful
having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavor a masterly handling of a complex topic in philosophy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

masterly

2 of 2

adverb

as in masterfully
in a skillful or expert manner a masterly executed somersault

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of masterly
Adjective
The first sixty pages provide a masterly chronological overview of the Peasants’ War. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 The masterly second installment of Wolf Hall retails permanent lessons in power. — Martha Bayles, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
Adverb
The first sixty pages provide a masterly chronological overview of the Peasants’ War. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 At times, Davis is a masterly nocturne painter, in the vein of Whistler and Henry Ossawa Tanner; at others, his world is medicinally clear and well lit, like that of a Thomas Eakins. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for masterly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masterly
  1. virtuoso
  2. skillful
  3. masterfully
  4. masterful
  5. skilled
  6. skillfully
  7. expert
  8. adept
Adjective
  • Thanks to more than 200 years of intense and virtuoso scientific work, what were once valid or at least plausible concerns and objections to vaccines have been overcome.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • A lot of the movie feels like a virtuoso chase sequence, people barreling down the road, guns blazing.
    — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
Definition of virtuoso
Adjective
  • There’s likely to be grasping, resisting, skillful and futile efforts to swim and worry about what’s up ahead.
    — Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • One of the few calls of the night was from Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, ready to get his hands on the skillful point guard.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026
Definition of skillful
Adverb
  • While traditional tailoring and minimalist silhouettes dominated the red carpet, prospects masterfully personalized their looks.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Son moved fast, especially up the left wing, and arced balls masterfully into the corners of the net.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
Definition of masterfully
Adjective
  • Djokovic put in a masterful performance against a player who had gone in as many people’s favorite after demolishing the champion of two years earlier, Andy Murray, in the semifinals.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • That family history, including people technically unrelated to him, had contributed to this designer’s rather masterful ability to design and tailor.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of masterful
Adjective
  • The plebeians have plenty to be furious about, but their representatives, skilled at turning a crowd into a mob, seem hellbent on shoring up their own influence.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • It is stored in plain text in RAM and can theoretically be accessed by administrators, cloud operators, hypervisors, or highly skilled attackers through malware, insider threats, or side-channel attacks.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of skilled
Adverb
  • In one of prettiest team goals of this tournament, Ayase Ueda skillfully found Ritsu Doan, who threaded it to Maeda.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 26 June 2026
  • The staff knows the menu and wine list back to front, and buzz around the dining room quickly and skillfully.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 June 2026
Definition of skillfully
Adjective
  • For full daily and monthly horoscopes as well as expert readings, see our full Horoscopes experience.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • Cottar also explains what made a CEO swap different from hiring an expert consultant.
    — Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of expert
Adjective
  • The vomeronasal organ is adept at detecting airborne and non-airborne odors, allowing the snake to analyze the chemical composition of its surroundings.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
  • But AfD has long become adept at harnessing discontent with issues well beyond its signature theme of curbing migration, which powered its rise in the mid-2010s.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of adept

Browse Nearby Words

masterliness
masterly
mastermind
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Cite this Entry

“Masterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masterly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of masterly for Spanish Speakers

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