Master vs. Mistress: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Master" denotes a male with control or expertise, while "Mistress" refers to a female in a position of authority or a woman in an extramarital relationship.
Key Differences
"Master" traditionally refers to a man with authority, skill, or ownership. "Mistress" denotes a woman in a position of authority or control, often with nuances of illicit relationships.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
In historical contexts, "master" was used to address or refer to a male teacher or employer. "Mistress" was similarly used for females, but has evolved to imply a woman in an extramarital affair.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
"Master" is also used to denote a high level of skill or proficiency in a particular field. "Mistress," in contrast, less frequently conveys expertise, more often implying control or illicit relationships.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
In some modern contexts, "master" signifies a person with mastery or an academic degree. "Mistress," while also indicating a female teacher, has taken on more romantic or scandalous connotations.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
"Master" can be used in various contexts without negative connotations. "Mistress," however, often carries a social stigma due to its association with extramarital affairs.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Modern Connotations
Skill, proficiency, academic degree
Control, extramarital affair
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Nov 22, 2023
Contextual Flexibility
Wide-ranging, usually positive
Narrower, often with negative implications
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Nov 22, 2023
Implication of Expertise
Commonly implies expertise
Less commonly used for expertise
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Nov 22, 2023
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Master and Mistress Definitions
Mistress
A woman who commands or oversees something.
She was the mistress of her own business.
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Nov 22, 2023
Master
Someone highly skilled in a particular field.
She studied with a master of classical piano.
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Nov 22, 2023
Mistress
A woman who has a continuing sexual relationship with a man who is married to someone else.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
A degree signifying advanced knowledge.
He earned his master's degree in engineering.
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Nov 22, 2023
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Mistress
A woman in a position of authority, control, or ownership, as the head of a household
"Thirteen years had seen her mistress of Kellynch Hall" (Jane Austen).
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
A male teacher or mentor.
The students respected their master in martial arts.
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Nov 22, 2023
Mistress
A woman who owns or keeps an animal
A cat sitting in its mistress's lap.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
A person who dominates in a specific context.
In chess, he is a true master.
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Nov 22, 2023
Mistress
A woman with ultimate control over something
The mistress of her own mind.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A nation or country that has supremacy over others
Great Britain, once the mistress of the seas.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
One who has control over or ownership of something
The master of a large tea plantation.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
Something personified as female that directs or reigns
"my mistress ... the open road" (Robert Louis Stevenson).
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman who has mastered a skill or branch of learning
A mistress of the culinary art.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
Mistress Used formerly as a courtesy title when speaking to or of a woman.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
One who defeats another; a victor
I had to admit that I had met my master and so conceded the game.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
One who acts out the role of the dominating partner in a sadomasochistic relationship.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership
Male equivalent: master
She was the mistress of the estate-mansion, and owned the horses.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
The other woman in an extramarital relationship, generally including sexual relations
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
A worker qualified to teach apprentices and carry on the craft independently.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A female companion to a master a man with control, authority or ownership
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
Used formerly as a title for a man holding a naval office ranking next below a lieutenant on a warship.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
Used as a title for a man who serves as the head or presiding officer of certain societies, clubs, orders, or institutions.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
Of a woman: to master; to learn or develop to a high degree of proficiency.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
Master Used as a title for any of various male officers having specified duties concerning the management of the British royal household.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
Master Used as a courtesy title before the given or full name of a boy not considered old enough to be addressed as Mister.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman having power, authority, or ownership; a woman who exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a family, a school, etc.
The late queen's gentlewoman! a knight's daughter!To be her mistress' mistress!
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.
A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
One who is appointed to assist a court in the performance of certain legal functions, such as the taking of testimony and calculating damages in complex litigation. Also called special master.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
Master A man who owns a pack of hounds or is the chief officer of a hunt.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a wife; a woman having an ongoing usually exclusive sexual relationship with a man, who may provide her with financial support in return; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts habitually; as, both his wife and his mistress attended his funeral.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
An original, such as an original document or audio recording, from which copies can be made.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the contracted forms, Mrs., for a married, and Miss, for an unmarried, woman.
Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul).
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A married woman; a wife.
Several of the neighboring mistresses had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
An adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
To become very skilled in or knowledgeable about
Mastered the language in a year's study.
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman with control or authority.
She was the mistress of the house.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Master
To produce a master copy of (an audio or video recording, for example).
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Oct 19, 2023
Mistress
A woman in an extramarital relationship.
She was known as the mistress of a prominent figure.
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Nov 22, 2023
Mistress
A female educator or teacher.
The schoolchildren loved their mistress.
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Nov 22, 2023
Mistress
A female owner of a pet or property.
The cat recognized its mistress immediately.
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Nov 22, 2023
Master
A master's degree; a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree.
She has a master in psychology.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
The original of a document or of a recording.
The band couldn't find the master, so they re-recorded their tracks.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
(film) The primary wide shot of a scene, into which the closeups will be edited later.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
(legal) A parajudicial officer (such as a referee, an auditor, an examiner, or an assessor) specially appointed to help a court with its proceedings.
The case was tried by a master, who concluded that the plaintiffs were the equitable owners of the property....
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
A device that is controlling other devices or is an authoritative source.
A master wheel
A master database
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
(freemasonry) A person holding an office of authority, especially the presiding officer.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
(by extension) A person holding a similar office in other civic societies.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
(intransitive) To be a master.highly ambiguous, master in what sense?
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
(transitive) To become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
(transitive) To learn to a high degree of proficiency.
It took her years to master the art of needlecraft.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
To earn a Master's degree.
He mastered in English at the state college.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
A vessel having (so many) masts; - used only in compounds; as, a two-master.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
A male person having another living being so far subject to his will, that he can, in the main, control his or its actions; - formerly used with much more extensive application than now.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
One who uses, or controls at will, anything inanimate; as, to be master of one's time.
Master of a hundred thousand drachms.
We are masters of the sea.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
One who has attained great skill in the use or application of anything; as, a master of oratorical art.
Great masters of ridicule.
No care is taken to improve young men in their own language, that they may thoroughly understand and be masters of it.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
A title given by courtesy, now commonly pronounced mĭster, except when given to boys; - sometimes written Mister, but usually abbreviated to Mr.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
A young gentleman; a lad, or small boy.
Where there are little masters and misses in a house, they are impediments to the diversions of the servants.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
The commander of a merchant vessel; - usually called captain. Also, a commissioned officer in the navy ranking next above ensign and below lieutenant; formerly, an officer on a man-of-war who had immediate charge, under the commander, of sailing the vessel.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
A person holding an office of authority among the Freemasons, esp. the presiding officer; also, a person holding a similar office in other civic societies.
Throughout the city by the master gate.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
To become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue.
Obstinacy and willful neglects must be mastered, even though it cost blows.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
To gain the command of, so as to understand or apply; to become an adept in; as, to master a science.
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
An artist of consummate skill;
A master of the violin
One of the old masters
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
An original creation (i.e., an audio recording) from which copies can be made
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
Be or become completely proficient or skilled in;
She mastered Japanese in less than two years
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Oct 19, 2023
Master
Have dominance or the power to defeat over;
Her pain completely mastered her
The methods can master the problems
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Master
Have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of;
Do you control these data?
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can "mistress" be used in a non-romantic context?
Yes, but it's less common now.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Is "mistress" still used for female teachers?
It's outdated and less common today.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Does "mistress" always imply infidelity?
Not always, but it's a common connotation.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Is "master" gender-specific?
Historically, yes, typically referring to males.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
How has the use of "mistress" evolved?
It has shifted more towards romantic implications.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Can "mistress" refer to a property owner?
Yes, but it's less common than "master."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Does "mistress" have historical significance?
Yes, in terms of female authority and education roles.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Is "mistress" used in professional settings?
Rarely, due to its romantic connotations.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Can "mistress" be empowering?
Context-dependent, but often overshadowed by other connotations.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Does "master" have negative connotations?
Generally, no, unless used in contexts of dominance.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
Is "master" appropriate for all age groups?
Typically, yes, in relevant contexts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 22, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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