Should you use ‘master’ or ‘mister’? Are you struggling with the difference between the two? We’ll explain the difference, and you’ll learn how to use both words correctly in a sentence.
Don’t feel like skimming? Here’s the short answer.
As you just learned, there’s a big difference between some of the definitions of the words. We know that ‘mister’ means a male teacher, and ‘master’ could be a male or female religious leader, artist, performer, or player of consummate. It could also be an academic degree.
The words ‘master,’ ‘mister,’ and ‘mistress’ all share similar origins. We know what ‘master’ and ‘mister’ mean for the most part. Before we get into detailed definitions, let’s look at what ‘mistress’ means, so you don’t confuse it with the other two.
‘Mistress’ means a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: such as the female head of household. It could also mean a female teacher or tutor, so it’s sort of the opposite of ‘mister.’ ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs.’ might be used in the place of ‘mistress’ in most cases, however.
The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘master’ is: “a male teacher,” “a person holding an academic degree higher than a bachelor’s but lower than a doctor’s,” “often capitalized: a revered religious leader,” “a worker or artisan qualified to teach apprentices” “an artist, performer, or player of consummate,” and “a great figure of the past (as in science or art) whose work serves as a model or ideal.”
It also means: “one having authority over another: ruler, governor,” “one that conquers or masters: victor, superior,” “a person licensed to command a merchant ship,” “one having control,” “an owner especially of an animal,” “the employer especially of a servant,” “a person who holds another person in slavery,” and “husband.”
Other definitions include: “the male head of a household,” “Mr.,” “a youth or boy too young to be called mister > used as a title,” “the eldest son of a Scottish viscount or baron,” “a presiding officer in an institution or society (such as a college),” “any of several officers of court-appointed to assist (as by hearing and reporting) a judge,” “a master mechanism) or device,” “an original from which copies can be made,” and “especially: a master recording.”
As an adjective, it means: “being or relating to a master: such as having chief authority: dominant,” “skilled, proficient,” “principal, predominant,” “superlative > often used in combination,” “being a device or mechanism that controls the operation of another mechanism or that establishes a standard (such as a dimension or weight),” “being or relating to a master from which duplicates are made.”
The verb definition is: “to become master of: overcome,” “to become skilled or proficient in the use of,” “to gain a thorough understanding of,” and “to produce a master recording of (something, such as a musical rendition).”
The Merriam-Webster definition of ‘mister’ is: “MR. > used sometimes in writing instead of Mr.,” “SIR > used without a name as a generalized term of the direct address of a man who is a stranger,” and “husband.”
As a noun, it’s defined as: “a device for spraying a mist.”
Now that you know what both words mean let’s take a look at some example sentences for each.
Here are a few examples of how to use ‘master’ in a sentence correctly:
Now let’s see some examples of how to use ‘mister’ in a sentence.
Now that you know what ‘master’ and ‘mister’ mean, you can use them in your writing without worrying about if you’re using them correctly. Use the above examples as a guide during the writing process.
If you ever feel stuck, you can always come back whenever you need to. Bookmark the page and revisit it anytime. We’ve got a whole library of content dedicated to explaining confusing words you might come across while learning the language.
We encourage you to share this article on Twitter and Facebook. Just click those two links - you'll see why.
It's important to share the news to spread the truth. Most people won't.
