# mistress

/ˈmɪstɹəs/ (US) · /mˈɪstɹəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mistress
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. extramarital partner

noun · CEFR B2

a woman who has a long-term sexual relationship with a man who is married to someone else.

For teachers: a woman who is involved in a long-term sexual relationship with a married man. The term implies a degree of financial or emotional support from the man.

- The king's mistress lived in a private house near the palace.
- Historical accounts suggest that the king's mistress exerted significant political influence over the court despite having no official title.

### 2. woman in authority

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

a woman who is in charge of a place, a household, or a group of people.

For teachers: a woman who has power, authority, or ownership, particularly as the head of a household or institution.

- She was the mistress of a large estate with many servants.
- As the mistress of the house, she was responsible for managing the domestic staff and overseeing the annual budget.

### 3. skilled woman

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

a woman who is very skilled or talented at a particular activity.

For teachers: a woman who has achieved a high degree of proficiency or mastery in a specific craft, art, or field of study.

- She was a mistress of the violin and played in the national orchestra.
- The author proved herself a mistress of suspense, keeping readers guessing until the final chapter of the novel.

### 4. historical title

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a title used in the past for a woman, which later became the short form 'Mrs'.

For teachers: an archaic title of address for a woman of social standing, now surviving primarily in the abbreviated form 'Mrs'.

- In the old story, the character is addressed as Mistress Page.
- The document, dated 1640, refers to the landowner as Mistress Elizabeth Thornton.

## Examples

- The king's mistress lived in a private house near the palace.
- The politician's career ended abruptly when the press discovered he had been supporting a mistress for several years.
- In many classic novels, the figure of the mistress serves as a complex foil to the wife, representing a life of passion that exists outside the rigid boundaries of social law.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.