meisters
Top-tier craftsmen
Meisters is the plural of meister, borrowed from German where it means master.
In English, meister typically appears as a suffix denoting someone skilled or prominent in a particular area: spinmeister, concertmeister, puzzlemeister.
Used alone, meister has a slightly ironic or playful tone: The meisters of Wall Street took their bonuses.
Expert in one field
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- professionalCredentialed in one's field
- guruRevered authority figure
- mavenTrusted field authority
adept · savant · pundit · virtuoso · maestro · prodigy · genius · whiz
Central European language
- guildProfessional mutual-aid society
- apprenticeLearner bound to employer
- journeymanQualified trade worker
- traditionCustom passed through generations
title · honorific · certification · concertmaster · Nuremberg · Wagner · medieval
Trusted wisdom-giving advisor
- instructorOne who teaches skills
- coachOne who instructs
- trainerOne who conditions others
- tutorIndividual instruction provider
educator · guide · sensei · preceptor · schoolmaster · headmaster · taskmaster · choirmaster
Skilled manual tradesperson
- craftsmanSkilled manual worker
- woodworkerTimber craftsperson
- brewerOne who makes ale
- cheesemakerCurd and whey producer
baker · blacksmith · glassblower · ceramicist · leatherworker · silversmith · luthier · wheelwright
specialist
Expert in one field
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- professionalCredentialed in one's field
- guruRevered authority figure
maven · adept · savant · pundit · virtuoso · maestro · prodigy · genius · whiz · wizard
German
Central European language
- guildProfessional mutual-aid society
- apprenticeLearner bound to employer
- journeymanQualified trade worker
tradition · title · honorific · certification · concertmaster · Nuremberg · Wagner · medieval
mentor
Trusted wisdom-giving advisor
- instructorOne who teaches skills
- coachOne who instructs
- trainerOne who conditions others
tutor · educator · guide · sensei · preceptor · schoolmaster · headmaster · taskmaster · choirmaster · fencing master
artisan
Skilled manual tradesperson
- craftsmanSkilled manual worker
- woodworkerTimber craftsperson
- brewerOne who makes ale
cheesemaker · baker · blacksmith · glassblower · ceramicist · leatherworker · silversmith · luthier · wheelwright · cooper
meistersapprentices
Novices learning a craft
pupils · students · journeymen · underlings · protégés