mistress

Mistress is a term with several related meanings. Historically, it described a woman who exercises authority within a household or estate—the female counterpart of a master. It could denote the head of a family, the mistress of a manor, or a woman in charge of property or servants.

In common usage, mistress most often refers to a woman who has a romantic or sexual relationship with a married man or with a man who is otherwise committed. This sense implies secrecy or illicitness and has carried moral judgment varying by culture and era. The term is sometimes replaced by “paramour” or “lover.”

In modern contexts, "Mistress" can also be a role within consensual relationships, particularly in BDSM and other power-exchange dynamics, where it denotes a female dominant who leads and directs activities within negotiated boundaries.

Etymology: The word derives from the feminine form of master. It comes through Old French maistresse and Middle English mistress, from the broader sense of authority over a household or property.

Historically, the term appears in medieval and early modern prose to describe women who held household authority and, later, to describe extramarital relationships in fiction and journalism.

See also: paramour; lover; head of household; dominant.