Definition of MISTRESS
a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: such as; the female head of a household; a woman who employs or supervises servants… See the full definition
mistress
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Definition of
mistress
1
:
a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: such as
a
:
the female head of a household
the
mistress
of the house
b
:
a woman who employs or supervises servants
The servants were required to do their
mistress’s
bidding without question.
c
:
a woman who possesses, owns, or controls something
the
mistress
of a large fortune
Whether mongrels or thoroughbreds … dogs have shared their masters’ and
mistresses
‘ experiences in almost all walks of life.
— Robert Rosenblum
d
:
a woman who is in charge of a school or other establishment
:
headmistress
Mrs. Goddard was the
mistress
of a school
— Jane Austen
e
:
a woman of the Scottish nobility having a status comparable to that of a master (see
master
sense 3b
)
2
a
chiefly British
:
a female teacher or tutor
b
:
a woman who has achieved mastery in some field
She was a
mistress
of music.
You learn how to chop throats and gouge eyes and stomp insteps … and after eight weeks you’re given your diploma, which officially declares you a
mistress
of unarmed combat.
— Arthur R. Miller
c
:
a woman considered especially notable for something
After penning several apocalyptic books, she became known as the
mistress
of doom.
3
:
something personified as female that rules, directs, or dominates
… France was master of the Continent, England
mistress
of the seas.
— James MacGregor Burns
Yet he was sharp and self-interested enough (serving, that is, his demanding
mistress
, Painting) to write more than 400 letters …
— Ronald Pickvance
4
a
:
a woman other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship
b
archaic
5
a
—
used archaically as a title prefixed to the name of a married or unmarried woman
b
chiefly Southern US and Midland US
—
used as a conventional title of courtesy except when usage requires the substitution of a title of rank or an honorific or professional title before a married woman’s surname
:
mrs.
sense 1a
6
:
an often professional dominatrix
With each addition of pain or restraint, he stiffens slightly, then falls into a deeper calm, a deeper peace, waiting to obey his
mistress
.
— Marianne Apostolides
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Synonyms for
mistress
Synonyms
,
(
also
)
,
Examples of
mistress
in a Sentence
Servants were required to do the
mistress’s
bidding without question.
The dog was always obedient to its master and
mistress
.
the master and
mistress
of the house
a married man who has a
mistress
His wife suspected that the woman she’d seen with him was his
mistress
.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Even more movingly, Deborah Findlay, as Juliet’s fond nurse, is able to temper the role’s comic elements with an immutable loyalty to her
mistress
, and then temper that with something darker and arguably in fact disloyal.
—
New York Times
, “Review: ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ Cut in Half and Twice as Good,” 22 Apr. 2021
New York gangster Bugsy Siegel goes Hollywood with a tan, a
mistress
and a mad vision of Las Vegas.
—
Los Angeles Times
, “Movies on TV this week: ‘Lust for Life’; ‘Platoon’ and more,” 5 Mar. 2021
An underrated thriller of its era, the 1990 flick casts Harrison Ford against type as a prosecutor who has been charged with the murder of his
mistress
, played by Greta Scacchi.
—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture
, “The 100 Best Movies on HBO Max,” 1 Feb. 2021
His body was left on display in Milan, dangling upside down alongside the body of his
mistress
.
—
Washington Post
, “World War II’s less-famous fascist,” 31 Dec. 2020
His
mistress
Cristiana Sinagra was back in Italy, heavily pregnant with Diego Armando Maradona Sinagra.
—
Matias Grez And Ben Morse,
CNN
, “Diego Armando Maradona: The tormented genius who became one of football’s greatest players,” 25 Nov. 2020
Femme assise près d’une fenêtre (Marie-Thérèse), 30 October 1932 is a stylized portrait of Picasso’s
mistress
and muse Marie-Thérèse Walter painted in 1932, widely regarded by art experts as one of the seminal years of the Spanish artist’s career.
—
Carlie Porterfield,
Forbes
, “A $55 Million Picasso Painting Could Signal The Art Market Is Bouncing Back,” 6 Apr. 2021
In a clear first-person narrative, Juan tells us of his early life, the loss of his first master and
mistress
to plague, and his subsequent transfer to the service of Don Diego Velázquez.
—
Sarah Schutte,
National Review
, “The Lyricism and Wit of Elizabeth Borton de Treviño Crossed Cultural Barriers,” 28 Mar. 2021
In 1847, Keckley and George were transported to St. Louis, Missouri, by her white half sister and new
mistress
, Anne Garland.
—
Judith Thurman,
The New Yorker
, “Ann Lowe’s Barrier-Breaking Mid-Century Couture,” 22 Mar. 2021
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘mistress.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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First Known Use of
mistress
14th century, in the meaning defined at
sense 1
History and Etymology for
mistress
Middle English
maistresse
, from Anglo-French
mestresse
, feminine of
mestre
master — more at
master
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mistress
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mistress
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mistress
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29 Apr 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Mistress.”
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary
, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistress. Accessed 30 Apr. 2021.
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mistress
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mistress
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Translation of
mistress
for Spanish Speakers
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Translation of
mistress
for Arabic Speakers
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mistress
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