fine art

American  

[fahyn ahrt] / ˈfaɪn ˈɑrt /

noun

fine arts plural

1. a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture.

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fine art British  

noun

1. art produced chiefly for its aesthetic value, as opposed to applied art

2. Also called: beaux arts.  (often plural) any of the fields in which such art is produced, such as painting, sculpture, and engraving

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fine art Idioms  

1. Something requiring highly developed techniques and skills, as in He's turned lying into a fine art, or The contractor excels in the fine art of demolition. This term alludes to the fine arts, such as music, painting, and sculpture, which require both skill and talent. It is now often used to describe anything that takes skill to do. [First half of 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fine arts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fine art

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

KAWS’ body of work spans more than 25 years and includes painting, sculpture and design that straddle fine art and global culture.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

Play is the primary side dish at “7 Paintings,” a tech-infused dinner theater that aims to be a crash course in fine art.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

But I’ve found with my fine art career that unless they’re famous people, people aren’t drawn to buying portraits and hanging them in their house.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026

Freeman credits his father, a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, with teaching him the fine art of becoming a professional athlete.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026

“Fiona is already being trained in the fine art of release,” The Giver told him.

From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry