magist-, master- +

Master of Arts; a master's degree in sciences and arts: An A.M. or a M.A. are the abbreviations for a university or college academic degree which is received after an additional year of successful graduate work after the A.B. or B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) degree.

Master of Arts: Artium Magister is abbreviated A.M. or M.A. and is an academic university degree that is usually achieved after the A.B. or B.A. degree.

1. Referring to a person who shows great dignity and authority: The new principal at school had a magisterial tone of voice and appearance that resulted in great respect from all the students.
2. Descriptive of an individual who behaves in an overbearing or dictatorial way: Sally didn't like her new teacher because she was very magisterial, pompous, and domineering.
3. Relating to a magistrate or a magistrate's official functions: There were many magisterial documents on the lawyer's desk.
4. Produced by or characteristic of a teacher, scholar, or expert: Mrs. Jones certainly was known for her magisterial methods of teaching because she had great skill and knowledge in her subject area.
5. Relating to or characteristic of a magistrate: The judge read the verdict in a magisterial voice and with gravity.

1. Descriptive of how an individual is overbearing and domineering; dictatorially: In the story, the absolute rulerof the country was described as making magisterially commands to his advisors.
2. Pertaining to how a person has an overbearingly assured manner or aspect: The workers at the firm didn't like their supervisor who acted quite magisterially towards them because of his arrogant and bossy manner.

1. The position or function of a magistrate: Mrs. Smith was a civil servant whose office was the magistracy.
2. The district over which a magistrate has the power and authority to administer justice: Jack read in his book that a magistracy in an English town was concerned with the local crimes and offenses.
3. Magistrates considered as a group: A magistracy does not exist in the U.S., but in Australia and in the United Kingdom where there are large courts and many judges who decide on many serious criminal cases.

1. A public official authorized to decide on questions bought before a court of justice: Tom's father was a magistrate who held his office with pride.
2. A judge in a lower court whose jurisdiction is limited to the trial of misdemeanors and the conduct of preliminary hearings on more serious charges: A magistrate has the job of carrying out the laws, but a magistrate normally does not make the final rulings on murder cases.
3. A minor law officer or member of a local judiciary with extremely limited powers: A magistrate can be a justice of the peace having administrative and limited judicial authority or who deals with traffic violations.

1. A murderer of one’s master or teacher: In the U.S. there have been a few magistricides who have shot teachers in addition to killing many of the students as well.
2, The murder of of a civil officer: A magistricide was committed in a school involving the death of an important teacher in the U.S.

1. Someone who has control over another or others: The master of the large tobacco plantation was not liked by his employees.
2. The owner, or keeper, of an animal; in the past, the owner of a slave or slaves: Tom, the master of his dog, taught it to sit on his command.
3. Anyone who has control over, or ownership, of something: The master of a big cotton plantation kept many slaves to do the work before the Civil War took place.
4. The captain of a merchant ship; a "master mariner": Jim was the master of the large cargo ship heading for a foreign country.
5. The man who serves as the head of a household: It used to be that that the husband of a family living in a house was called the master!
6. Someone who defeats another; a victo: After winning many games at chess, Mr. Big was described as being the master at chess!
7. A male teacher or tutor In early America, it used to be that a schoolteacher was called a master, like a schoolmaster or schoolmistress.
8. An artist or performer of great and exemplary skill: Finally the concertmaster and the conductor came on to the stage and the whole audience clapped loudly before the concert began.
9. A worker qualified to teach apprentices and carry on a skill, or craft, on their own: The cabinetmaker, or master of Jim, the trainee, could make wonderful chairs and tables.
10. An expert at something: There can be a master of three languages.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle could be called a master of crime fiction.
11. The first form of something used for making an imitation or for copying: An example of a master can be an original document or audio recording from which copies can be made.
12. Etymology: from Old English mægester, "someone having control or authority"; from Latin magister, "chief, head, director, teacher"; influenced in Middle English by Old French maistre; from Latin magister, from magis, "more", from magnus, "great".

Dominion; rule; command; supremacy: In the game the children were playing, they wanted to have power of control, or masterdom, over the garden area their parents set aside for them.

1. Regarding the condition of having or revealing supreme mastery or skill: The piano piece by Schumann was played in a masterful way.
2. Pertaining to a demonstration of exceptional skill or ability: The English teacher was quite masterful in that even the slowest students were quite motivated and learned all of the vocabulary words in a fun way.
3. Descriptive of an ability or tendency to lead others: The masterful conducting of the chamber orchestra brought out the very best in the pieces by J.S. Bach.
4. Referring to someone who commands and dominates others: There was one teacher at school that all the students detested, and that was Mr. Book, who was very masterful in that he was always very authoritative and arrogant.

1. Descriptive of how a person behaves in a domineering or commanding way: Mrs. Green asked her husband, "Do you think I act masterfully when I tell the kids to clean up their rooms?"
2. Concerning how something is accomplished in a skilful manner: Sharon was an excellent translator and did her job masterfully.

Janet surprised the audience when she played the Bach Sonatas masterfully.

1. Regarding the lack of an owner: The stray dog seemed masterless and wandered through the streets of the small town.
2. Ungoverned or ungovernable: The mustang turned out to be completely masterless and was not trainable at all.

1. Concerning a person having or revealing supreme skill: Maude played the difficult piano composition with masterly precision at the recital.
2. Pertaining to someone who is domineering; imperious: Jane's aunt was known to be quite masterly and bossy because she was always telling her children what they had to do and what they mustn't do at all.

A very intelligent person, especially smeone who plans and directs complex or complicated projects: Brent Kent was the mastermind of a very successful business.

To plan, to direct, or to supervise some kind of activity or a project: Jason is still masterminding an electronic method that will alert teachers whenever students use an illegal method to access their cell phones to get answers for test questions. © ALL rights are reserved.

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