The Meaning of Mistress: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the meaning of mistress? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on this new word!

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According to Collins English Dictionary, the noun mistress commonly refers to a married man’s female lover. This is often used to describe the other woman in extramarital affairs. The word mistress is two syllables (mis-tress), and its pronunciation is mɪstrəs.

The word mistress also has a couple of other definitions. It can refer to a female schoolteacher. It can also refer to a woman who is the master of something, whether an enslaved person or servant, animal, or skill or craft.

What Are Translations of the Word Mistress?

If you are reading a book in another language or trying to learn a new language, studying this list of translations of mistress is a great way to expand your knowledge. Learning how to say words in another language stimulates your brain and can help lead to a deeper knowledge of the word mistress. 

  • Romani: raji‎ (fem.)
  • Cyrillic: газдарица‎ (fem.), господарица‎ (fem.)
  • Catalan: mestressa‎ (fem.)
  • Macedonian: госпо́дарка‎ (fem.), газда́рица‎ (fem.), сто́панка‎ (fem.)
  • Irish: máistreás‎ (fem.)
  • Hebrew: גבירה‎
  • Scottish Gaelic: bana-mhaighstir‎ (fem.)
  • French: maîtresse‎ (fem.)
  • Hungarian: úrnő‎
  • Arabic: سَيِّدَة‎ (fem.)
  • Roman: gazdarica‎ (fem.), gospodarica‎ (fem.)
  • Norwegian Bokmål: frue‎ (masc.) (f)
  • Italian: signora‎ (fem.), padrona‎ (fem.)
  • Bulgarian: госпо́дарка‎ (fem.)
  • Old English: hlæfdige‎ (fem.)
  • Russian: госпожа́‎ (fem.), хозя́йка‎ (fem.)
  • Greek: κυρία‎ (fem.)
  • Norman: maitrêsse‎ (fem.)
  • Latin: domina‎ (fem.)
  • Belarusian: спада́рка‎ (fem.), гаспады́ня‎ (fem.)
  • Kazakh: ханым‎
  • Thai: นาง‎
  • German: Frau‎ (fem.), Meisterin‎ (fem.)
  • Ukrainian: господи́ня‎ (fem.), хазя́йка‎ (fem.)
  • Persian: بانو‎ (bānu), شهبانو‎ (šahbānu)
  • Portuguese: senhora‎ (fem.)
  • Polish: pani‎ (fem.)
  • Dutch: mevrouw‎ (fem.), meesteres‎ (fem.)

What Is the Etymology of the Word Mistress?

The word mistress originates from Old French. The word maistresse was used to mean a lover as well as a female teacher, a governess, and a housekeeper. In Modern French, the word maîtresse is used in its place. The word mistress has been used in the English language since the year 1300. 

The French term for mistress comes from the masculine French word maistre, which means master. This word originates from the Latin word magister, which means pretty much the same thing as the modern English master: a head, chief, or director.

The meaning of the word mistress has changed over the years. Its definition as the lover of a married man and the female head of a house have been used since the early 15th century. This term has also been used to address women politely since the mid-15th century.

In the mid-15th century, the word mistress began to refer to a female master in a certain field of study. In the year 1500, the word mistress took on the definition of a beloved woman. 

How Can the Word Mistress Be Used in a Sentence?

You can use the word mistress in many different sentences. When this word is used in modern times, it often describes the female lover of an unfaithful spouse or partner. If you use this word in a sentence, remember people may think you are talking about an illicit affair.

To learn what a word means, you can test yourself by using a word in a sentence. To grow your knowledge, take a look at the below examples of the word mistress. Then, try using this word in a sentence yourself!

His mistress went off script during the ceremony. While she was supposed to be talking about divinity, she exposed his infidelity to everyone.

The wife found out about her husband’s mistress when she was granted temporary access as a network administrator to his device during an anti-virus scan. She found hundreds of text messages between them.

Geval Minnares had a personal connection with his mistress that he could not find with anyone else, even his wife, Leven.

After she found out about her husband’s mistress, she went and got a whole new look. She had easier access to make enhancements to her husband’s favorite features than ever and used these to her advantage.

Miss Jaar tried to expose his mistress by sending malware onto his web property via a one-time privacy pass, but she failed the CAPTCHA and couldn’t find anything.

What Are Synonyms of the Word Mistress?

If you are trying to use a word for mistress that does not imply infidelity, you can try using a synonym for mistress from the list provided by Power Thesaurus. A thesaurus is a great source for alternate words to use in sentences. 

You might use a synonym to avoid repeating yourself or look for a word with a different connotation. Try looking up the definitions of these synonyms of mistress to see how they compare to the original word.

  • householder
  • house keeper
  • housemother
  • girlfriend
  • homemaker
  • matron of the house
  • domestic engineer
  • good wife
  • family carer
  • hostess
  • woman of the house
  • paramour
  • domestic goddess
  • lady
  • houseowner
  • concubine
  • goodwife
  • landlady
  • lady of the house
  • housesitter
  • house-wife
  • lover
  • kept woman
  • full time mother
  • missus

Conclusion

Overall, the word mistress usually refers to the female lover of a married man.  It can also refer to the master of a servant or dog, a female teacher, or a woman who’s a master at her craft or art.

Sources:

  1. Mistress synonyms – 554 Words and Phrases for Mistress | Power Thesaurus 
  2. Mistress antonyms – 667 Opposites of Mistress | Power Thesaurus 
  3. Mistress definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary