maître

Maître is a French noun and honorific meaning master, teacher, expert, or owner. It is derived from the Latin magister through Old French maistre, and the modern spelling includes a circumflex over the i. In ordinary French, maître can denote a skilled practitioner or a person in a position of authority.

In contemporary France and other Francophone jurisdictions, maître is used as a professional title before a surname for lawyers and notaries, signaling legal expertise and respect. This usage is common in formal correspondence and court settings, where one would address a lawyer as Maître Dupont.

Around professions and roles, maître appears in compound titles. Maître d'hôtel designates the head waiter in a restaurant. Maître d'œuvre or maître d'ouvrage refers to the client or project manager responsible for a construction or architectural project. Maître d'armes denotes a master of arms, a fencing instructor. Historically, maître also referred to a schoolteacher, especially in earlier periods, and in various arts contexts such as choir direction (maître de chœur).

Outside French-speaking contexts, the word retains its French sense in borrowed phrases and titles, particularly in cuisine and law. It signals a formal, professional authority rather than casual familiarity, and its precise meaning shifts with context and jurisdiction.