masterpiece

American  

[mas-ter-pees, mah-ster-] / ˈmæs tərˌpis, ˈmɑ stər- /

noun

masterpieces plural

1. a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.

2. anything done with masterly skill.

   a masterpiece of improvisation.

3. a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.

   The chef 's cake was a masterpiece.

4. a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a guild or other craft organization as a proof of competence.

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masterpiece British  

/ ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs, ˈmɑːstəˌwɜːk /

noun

1. an outstanding work, achievement, or performance

2. the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• masterpieces
  plural

Etymology

Origin of masterpiece

1570–80; master + piece, modeled on Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück

Explanation

Many people have to agree that a painting or a novel is wonderful, and they usually need to feel that way for years, in order for it to be considered a true masterpiece. An artist or writer is generally capable of creating only one masterpiece in her lifetime, if she makes a masterpiece at all. When an art historian or English teacher uses it, the word masterpiece implies a truly sublime, amazing creation. You can also describe something that's simply great as a masterpiece, like the seven-layer chocolate cake your mom baked for your birthday. Masterpiece comes from the Dutch meesterstuk, "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

masterpiece masterpieces

That noirish masterpiece was cast entirely with supporting players, performers whose characters were usually killed off or otherwise dismissed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

No one outside the Marvel fan ecosystem is arguing that “Avengers: Endgame,” one of the highest-grossing films of all time, is a cinematic masterpiece on par with the all-time great classics.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Part of that attention is aimed at Burwell’s score, a masterpiece of electronic minimalism in which pitch bends and hard clashes create the dread and whiplash that make the film so tense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

“A masterpiece property fit for royalty. … A home crafted with love and intention,” it goes on, after calling attention to the resort-style pool and koi pond.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

He stood at the entrance, drinking in the beautiful debris of Room Nineteen—his masterpiece.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

It was the year Glass wrote “Einstein on the Beach” and Steve Reich created “Music for 18 Musicians” — the composers’ first masterpieces — demonstrating that Minimalism mattered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Julian Gascoigne, senior director in Sotheby's paintings department, said it was one of Landseer's great Highland masterpieces.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Estimated by art historians to have been begun sometime after 1317, the frescoes are considered to be one of Giotto di Bondone's masterpieces.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

If you don’t want to paint, watching Ross whisk landscape masterpieces into being within 30 minutes, exercising a sorcerer’s assuredness, is diversion enough.

From Salon ● May 2, 2026

The work that eventually emerged from all this anguish, his fifth symphony, premiered in November 1937, is now recognised as one of the classical masterpieces of the twentieth century.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• classic
• gem
• jewel
• monument
• treasure