master of ceremonies

noun phrase

1
: a person who determines the forms to be observed on a public occasion
2
: a person who acts as host at a formal event
3
: a person who acts as host for a program of entertainment (as on television)

Examples of master of ceremonies in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Since only recently opting to have a new host each year, the BAFTA Film Awards have had various big names on master of ceremonies duties including Joanna Lumley, Graham Norton, Rebel Wilson and Richard E. Grant. Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Feb. 2024 Her father, who is now 99, was a master of ceremonies there. Kaitlyn Schwanemann, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 For the fourth year in a row, Trevor Noah will be master of ceremonies. Chris Morris, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2024 This is the 20th consecutive year Seacrest has been the master of ceremonies for the highest-rated of all New Year’s Eve programming. Chris Morris, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2023 Related Stories Celebrity Jeopardy! will return to ABC on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 8 p.m. for its semifinals and finals, and Jennings will be the master of ceremonies. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Dec. 2023 Kenan Thompson served as master of ceremonies for the 2022 awards, while Cedric the Entertainer and Jimmy Kimmel took on hosting duties in 2021 and 2020, respectively. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2024 West Hartford Town Councilor Carol Banks will act as master of ceremonies, and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal will share insights from the nation’s capitol. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 Jan. 2024 Being named master of ceremonies — and following in the footsteps of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon — also caps a meteoric seven-year run, which saw Koy go from Netflix reject to global headliner. Anne Branigin, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'master of ceremonies.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of master of ceremonies was circa 1610

Dictionary Entries Near master of ceremonies

Cite this Entry

“Master of ceremonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/master%20of%20ceremonies. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

master of ceremonies

: a person who acts as host at a formal event or on an entertainment program (as on television)

More from Merriam-Webster on master of ceremonies

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!