Modifies a noun

• understatement: Tommy told The Citizen afterward with masterly understatement, " There is a sense of relief " .

• inactivity: There then followed a period of masterly inactivity, whilst various proposals were made to modify the route.

• portrayal: The play was held together by Graham Tyrer's masterly portrayal of the tormented Salieri and Richard Sandle's excellent Amadeus.

• biography: Masterly biography of the great Italian academic and political theorist.

• fashion: The men handled the boat in masterly fashion guiding it through reefs covered with surging foam safely to a small jetty.

Modifying Another Word

• quite: The present account is quite masterly in every respect and Vasari get remarkably fine results.

• very: Carver, you have certainly worked out a very complete case in a very masterly way.

• simply: The chapters on conscience in the sixth volume are simply masterly, even to this day.

Preposition: in

• respect: The present account is quite masterly in every respect and Vasari get remarkably fine results.