Definition of 'mastermind'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense masterminds
, present participle masterminding
, past tense, past participle masterminded
1. verb
If you mastermind a difficult or complicated activity, you plan it in detail and then make sure that it happens successfully.
2. countable noun [usually singular]
The mastermind behind a difficult or complicated plan, often a criminal one, is the person who is responsible for planning and organizing it.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
mastermind in British English
verb
noun
2.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
mastermind in American English
noun
1.
verb transitive
2.
to be the mastermind of (a project)
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
mastermind in American English
(ˈmæstərˌmaind, ˈmɑːstər-)
transitive verb
1.
to plan and direct (a usually complex project or activity), esp. skillfully
Two colonels had masterminded the revolt
noun
2.
a person who originates or is primarily responsible for the execution of a particular idea, project, or the like
the masterminds of company policy
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1710–20; master + mind]Examples of 'mastermind' in a sentence
mastermind
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In other languages
mastermind
British English: mastermind
VERB /ˈmɑːstəmaɪnd/
If you mastermind a difficult or complicated activity, you plan it in detail and then make sure that it happens successfully.
The finance minister will continue to mastermind the country's economic reform.
- American English: mastermind /ˈmæstərmaɪnd/
- Brazilian Portuguese: planejar
- Chinese: 策划
- European Spanish: planificar
- French: être le cerveau de
- German: planen und ausführen
- Italian: essere il cervello di
- Japanese: 首謀する
- Korean: 주도면밀하게 지휘하다
- European Portuguese: planear
- Latin American Spanish: planificar
- Thai: วางแผนผลักดัน
British English: mastermind
NOUN /ˈmɑːstəmaɪnd/
The mastermind behind a difficult or complicated plan, often a criminal one, is the person who is responsible for planning and organizing it.
He was the mastermind behind the plan to acquire the musicians.
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Definition of mastermind from the Collins English Dictionary
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