PIE word *méǵh₂s 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). Maister is derived from Old English mæġester (“master”) and Old French maistre (“master”) (modern French maître), both from Latin magister (“teacher; master”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (“big, great”). The English word is analysable as master + -ly.
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Executed in the manner of a master; showing competence and skill; masterful.
Her years of experience enabled her to render a masterly performance.
He made confeſsion of you, / And gaue you ſuch a maſterly report / For art and exerciſe in your defence, / And for your Rapier moſt eſpeciall, / That he cride out t' would be a ſight indeed / If one could match you; [...]c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:
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H'as a ſtrange cunning tongue, why do you ſigh Sir? How maſterly he turns himſelf to catch me?c. 1612–1630, John Fletcher, George Chapman, Ben Jonson, Philip Massinger, “The Bloody Brother; or, Rollo. A Tragedy.”, in Fifty Comedies and Tragedies. […], [part 1], London: […] J[ohn] Macock [and H. Hills], for John Martyn, Henry Herringman, and Richard Marriot, published 1679, →OCLC, Act V, scene ii, page 445, column 1:
I have therefore drawn this Picture of her, which your Ladiſhip ſees; and I conceive it, to be very like the Originall, though the hand be not so maſterlie, as the Perſon deſerves, and I wiſh.1659 (indicated as 1660), Tobie Mathews [i.e., Tobie Matthew], “A Most Humble Servant, to a Most Noble Lady; with Thanks to Her for Some Favours, and Desires of More”, in John Donne, editor, A Collection of Letters, Made by Sʳ Tobie Mathews Kᵗ. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, page 128:
Of all the pamphlets that came forth at that time, or perhaps of thoſe that have ſince appeared, this was the moſt eloquent and maſterly.1771, [Oliver] Goldsmith, “The Commonwealth”, in The History of England, from the Earliest Times to the Death of George II. […], volume III, London: […] T[homas] Davies, […]; [T.] Becket and [P. A.] De Hondt; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, pages 350–351:
samuel [Wesley], the youngeſt, though he was three years old before he aimed at a tune, yet by conſtantly hearing his brother [Charles Wesley junior] practiſe, and being accuſtomed to good muſic and maſterly execution, before he was ſix years old arrived at ſuch knowledge in muſic, that his extemporary performance on keyed inſtruments, like [Wolfgang Amadeus] mozart's, was ſo maſterly in point of invention, modulation, and accuracy of execution, as to ſurpaſs, in many particulars, the attainments of moſt profeſſors at any period of their lives.1779 February 18, Charles Burney, “XVIII. Account of an Infant Musician.”, in Philosophical Transactions, of the Royal Society of London, volume LXIX, part I, London: […] J[ohn] Nichols, successor to Mr. [William] Bowyer; for Lockyer Davis, printer to the Royal Society, →DOI, →OCLC, pages 202–203:
2
Derogatory, Obsolete, Usually Like a master; arbitrary; domineering, imperious.
The godlie counſels of Salomon and Ieſus the ſonne of Sirach, for ſharpe kepinge in, and bridleinge of youth, are ment rather, for fatherlie correction, then maſterlie beating, rather for maners, than for learninge: for other places, than for ſcholes.a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, “The First Booke for the Youth [Teachyng the Brynging vp of Youth]”, in Margaret Ascham, editor, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, →OCLC, folio 12, recto:
Many times fear is a profitable and an active ſervant, if it do not dominere and grow maſterlie.1653, Arthur Wilson, “[A Letter to My Lord Monteagle [William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle]]”, in The History of Great Britain, being the Life and Reign of King Iames the First, […], London: […] Richard Lownds, […], →OCLC, page 30:
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Mrs. Muskrat had been somewhat timid about displaying these gold teeth. The fashion had not yet reached Green Meadows, but her husband had urged her to do it. "Nonsense, girle," he had said in his masterly manner, "I've got the money to buy the best gold teeth in the world, and why shouldn't you wear them?"1921 April, Donald Ogden Stewart, “Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups: Mr. Thornton Burgess Rewritten by Three Eminent American Novelists”, in Frank Crowninshield, editor, Vanity Fair, volume 16, number 2, New York, N.Y.: Vanity Fair Publishing Company, →OCLC, section III (Jeremiah Muskrat—Financier by Theodore Dreiser), page 90, column 3:
Etymology From Middle English maisterli (“artistically; skilfully; in the manner of a conqueror or master; overconfidently”), from maister (see etymology 1) + -li (suffix forming adverbs); analysable as master + -ly (suffix forming adverbs).
1
Archaic In a masterful manner; competently, masterfully.
At length the sound of a flute broke upon mine ear; it was not played masterly, but the tones were very sweet; and what is more correct, perhaps, they harmonized with my feelings.1818 January, “The Flute-player.—A Hint to the Discontented.”, in La Belle Assemblée; being Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine (New and Improved Series), volume XVII, number 106, London: […] John Bell, […], →OCLC, page 21, column 1: