The difference between Captain and Master

When used as nouns, captain means a chief or leader, whereas master means someone who has control over something or someone.

When used as verbs, captain means to act as captain, whereas master means to be a master.


Master is also adjective with the meaning: masterful.

check bellow for the other definitions of Captain and Master

  1. Captain as a noun:

    A chief or leader.

  2. Captain as a noun:

    The person lawfully in command of a ship or other vessel.

    Examples:

    "The captain is the last man to leave a sinking ship."

  3. Captain as a noun:

    An army officer with a rank between the most senior grade of lieutenant and major.

  4. Captain as a noun:

    A naval officer with a rank between commander and commodore.

  5. Captain as a noun:

    A commissioned officer in the United States Navy, Coast Guard, NOAA Corps, or PHS Corps of a grade superior to a commander and junior to a rear admiral (lower half). A captain is equal in grade or rank to an Army, Marine Corps, or Air Force colonel.

  6. Captain as a noun:

    One of the athletes on a sports team who is designated to make decisions, and is allowed to speak for his team with a referee or official.

  7. Captain as a noun:

    The leader of a group of workers.

    Examples:

    "John Henry said to the captain, "A man ain't nothing but a man."

  8. Captain as a noun:

    The head boy of a school.

  9. Captain as a noun:

    A maƮtre d'.

  10. Captain as a noun (southern US):

    An honorific title given to a prominent person. See colonel.

  11. Captain as a noun (internet):

    Someone who provides contextual information for a post. Originally a shorthand for 'Captain Obvious'.

  1. Captain as a verb (intransitive):

    To act as captain

  2. Captain as a verb (transitive):

    To exercise command of a ship, aircraft or sports team.

  1. Master as a noun:

    Someone who has control over something or someone.

  2. Master as a noun:

    The owner of an animal or slave.

  3. Master as a noun (nautical):

    The captain of a merchant ship; a master mariner.

  4. Master as a noun (dated):

    The head of a household.

  5. Master as a noun:

    Someone who employs others.

  6. Master as a noun:

    An expert at something.

    Examples:

    "Mark Twain was a master of fiction."

  7. Master as a noun:

    A tradesman who is qualified to teach apprentices.

  8. Master as a noun (dated):

    A schoolmaster.

  9. Master as a noun:

    A skilled artist.

  10. Master as a noun (dated):

    A man or a boy; mister. See Master.

  11. Master as a noun:

    A master's degree; a type of postgraduate degree, usually undertaken after a bachelor degree.

    Examples:

    "She has a master in psychology."

  12. Master as a noun:

    A person holding such a degree.

    Examples:

    "He is a master of marine biology."

  13. Master as a noun:

    The original of a document or of a recording.

    Examples:

    "The band couldn't find the master, so they re-recorded their tracks."

  14. Master as a noun (film):

    The primary wide shot of a scene, into which the closeups will be edited later.

  15. Master as a noun (legal):

    A parajudicial officer (such as a referee, an auditor, an examiner, or an assessor) specially appointed to help a court with its proceedings.

    Examples:

    "The case was tried by a master, who concluded that the plaintiffs were the equitable owners of the property...."

  16. Master as a noun (engineering, computing):

    A device that is controlling other devices or is an authoritative source.

    Examples:

    "a master wheel"

    "a master database"

  17. Master as a noun (freemasonry):

    A person holding an office of authority, especially the presiding officer.

  18. Master as a noun (by extension):

    A person holding a similar office in other civic societies.

  1. Master as an adjective:

    Masterful.

  2. Master as an adjective:

    Main, principal or predominant.

  3. Master as an adjective:

    Highly skilled.

    Examples:

    "'master batsman"

  4. Master as an adjective:

    Original.

    Examples:

    "'master copy"

  1. Master as a verb (intransitive):

    To be a master.

  2. Master as a verb (transitive):

    To become the master of; to subject to one's will, control, or authority; to conquer; to overpower; to subdue.

  3. Master as a verb (transitive):

    To learn to a high degree of proficiency.

    Examples:

    "It took her years to master the art of needlecraft."

  4. Master as a verb (transitive, obsolete):

    To own; to posses.

  5. Master as a verb (transitive, especially of a musical performance):

    To make a master copy of.

  6. Master as a verb (intransitive, usually with ''in''):

    To earn a Master's degree.

    Examples:

    "He mastered in English at the state college."

  1. Master as a noun (nautical, in combination):

    A vessel having a specified number of masts.

    Examples:

    "a two-master"