masterly
adjective
Caroline Knapp
Masterful vs. Masterly: Usage Guide
Some commentators insist that use of masterful should be limited to its early "domineering" sense in order to preserve a distinction between it and masterly. The distinction is a modern one, excogitated by a 20th century pundit in disregard of the history of the word. Both words developed in a parallel manner but the earlier sense of masterly, equivalent to the "domineering" sense of masterful, dropped out of use. Since masterly had but one sense, the pundit opined that it would be tidy if masterful were likewise limited to one sense and he forthwith condemned use of masterful to mean "having mastery" as an error. This later sense of masterful, which is slightly older than the sense of masterly intended to replace it, has continued in reputable use all along; it cannot rationally be called an error.
Synonyms
Examples of masterly in a Sentence
Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
The authors of this concise and masterly introduction to the topic go some way toward filling that gap.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Dec. 2019
His accent was unaccented, and his biking around the city was masterly.
—Hannah Whitaker, The New Yorker, 22 Apr. 2024
His handling of her final moments, ultimately placing her calmly sitting on the edge of the stage, is masterly.
—David Benedict, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for masterly 
Dictionary Entries Near masterly
Cite this Entry
“Masterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masterly. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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masterly
adjective
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