Like master like man.
Like master like man.
Meaning in plain English
A person’s example can influence the conduct of someone working alongside or under them. The master and man reflect a hierarchical setting, encouraging attention to leadership without proving that another person’s behaviour is simply a copy.
Example
A coordinator who habitually ignores agreed deadlines notices similar disregard spreading through the team.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The repeated like makes the subordinate resemble the master in the proverb’s compact picture. It can suggest that habits, standards or attitudes spread through a shared working environment, particularly when the person with authority sets the example. A useful application asks whether a leader practises the conduct they request from others. The saying can also encourage unfair assumptions about an individual based on who employs or supervises them. People retain their own judgment and may resist the example around them. Read the sentence as a prompt to examine influence and responsibility, rather than a shortcut for assigning the same character to everyone in a hierarchy.
When to use it
Use it to consider the example set by someone with authority.
Keep in mind
Association with a leader does not prove identical character or conduct.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1041 · Master
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗