A woman who has an illicit affair — that is, a sexual relationship with someone she's not married to — is also called a mistress. It’s a somewhat old-fashioned word — it’s one-sided, sexist, and often suggests financial support in exchange for sexual favors. Mistress (lover ) Madame de Pompadour, a mistress of Louis XV, c. 1756 A mistress or kept woman is a woman who is in a relatively long-term sexual and romantic relationship with someone who is married to a different person. [1][2] mistress meaning , definition , what is mistress : a woman that a man has a sexual relation...: Learn more. Examples of mistress in a Sentence The dog was always obedient to its master and mistress . the master and mistress of the house a married man who has a mistress His wife suspected that the woman she'd seen with him was his mistress .