mistress
word
Definition
A mistress can be a woman who has a sexual or romantic relationship with a man who is married to someone else. In older or formal use, it can also mean a woman in a position of authority, such as the female head of a household or a female teacher.
Usage & Nuances
Today, the most common meaning is “a married man’s lover,” and it often sounds negative or scandalous. The older meanings survive in fixed expressions like “schoolmistress” or historical contexts; “master and mistress of the house” is formal and old-fashioned.
Example Sentences
The king kept a mistress in secret.
basic
In the old story, she was the mistress of a large house.
basic
The children listened to their mistress at school.
basic
He left his wife and moved in with his mistress.
natural
In that period drama, the mistress of the estate controls everything.
natural
The term mistress sounds old-fashioned unless you mean a lover.
natural