masterly
mas·ter·ly/ˈmæstɚli/adjective
masterly is spelled M-A-S-T-E-R-L-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables (mas·ter·ly). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, masterly means “Executed in the manner of a master; showing competence and skill; masterful” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in masterly?
| Letters | 8: M-A-S-T-E-R-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: mas·ter·ly |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 55,433rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is masterly?
Masterly appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce masterly?
- UK /ˈmɑːstəli/
- UK /ˈmæ-/
- US /ˈmæstɚli/
Masterly has 3 syllables, split mas·ter·ly in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-I_learned_some_phrases-masterly.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of masterly
- more masterly comparative
- most masterly superlative
- masterlie
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does masterly mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Executed in the manner of a master; showing competence and skill; masterful.
Her years of experience enabled her to render a masterly performance.
- 2
derogatoryobsoleteLike a master; arbitrary; domineering, imperious.
adverb
- 1
archaicIn a masterful manner; competently, masterfully.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Masterly in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | meisterlich, meisterhaft |
| Spanish | señoril , señorilmente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does masterly come from?
From Middle English maisterli, from maister (“leader, ruler; high official; official in charge of a place; person in control; employer; owner; schoolmaster, teacher; scholar, sage; holder of a master's degree; religious teacher; master craftsman; expert; magician; social superior; husband; lover; Jesus Christ; a god; male stud animal”) + -li (suffix forming adjectives).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).