headmaster
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- headmastership noun
Etymology
Origin of headmaster
Explanation
A headmaster is the principal of a private school. Your prep school headmaster might have also taught your favorite English class. The head of a school, especially if the school is in Britain or is private or a boarding school, is called a headmaster. The headmaster is often in charge of discipline as well as the running of the school. It's common these days to use the term head teacher rather than headmaster, since it includes both male and female principals. The word headmaster has been around since the 1570's.
Vocabulary lists containing headmaster
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Founders’ headmaster Jason Caros rejects the allegation of “Christian nationalism” but argues that there is much to be said for those traditional values, pedagogy and curriculum.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
Collins, born in 1940, was raised near Liverpool by a schoolteacher mother and a headmaster father.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025
The network also confirmed John Lithgow's announcement in February that he will play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2025
Lithgow, 79, confirmed to Screen Rant in an interview published Tuesday he is set to play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025
WHY was the man tipped to be Minister of Magic content to remain a mere headmaster?
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
