Talk:masterful

This definition misses the meaning

Masterful is defined as if it were a synonym of masterly.

At least according to my old Random House American College Dictionary that is only the secondary meaning of masterful. The primary meaning is "having or showing the qualities of a master; authoritative; domineering." This meaning is widely attested by nineteenth century romantic novels, where a young lady is likely to swoon at the masterful mien of a young man.

By ignoring this primary meaning, the current definition erases a useful distinction in English!

OperaJoeGreen 21:41, 29 January 2011 (UTC)

Some people avoid both masterful/masterly, in view of the masculine associations of the word master

According to Microsoft® Encarta® 2009,

Some people avoid both masterful/masterly, in view of the masculine associations of the word master --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:54, 16 July 2019 (UTC)