artist

American  

[ahr-tist] / ˈɑr tɪst /

noun

1. a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.

2. a person who practices one of the fine arts, especially a painter or sculptor.

3. a person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc..

   a commercial artist.

4. a person who works in one of the performing arts, as an actor, musician, or singer; a public performer.

   a mime artist; an artist of the dance.

5. a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill.

6. a person who is expert at trickery or deceit.

   He's an artist with cards.

7. Obsolete. an artisan.

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artist British  

/ ˈɑːtɪst /

noun

1. a person who practises or is skilled in an art, esp painting, drawing, or sculpture

2. a person who displays in his work qualities required in art, such as sensibility and imagination

3. a person whose profession requires artistic expertise, esp a designer

   a commercial artist

4. a person skilled in some task or occupation

   an artist at bricklaying

5. obsolete an artisan

6. slang a person devoted to or proficient in something

   a booze artist

   a con artist

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Related Words

Artist, artisan, artiste are persons having superior skill or ability, or who are capable of producing superior work. An artist is a person engaged in some type of fine art. An artisan is engaged in a craft or applied art. An artiste is usually a skilled public performer.

Etymology

Origin of artist

First recorded in 1575–85; from Middle French artiste, from Medieval Latin artista “master of arts”; equivalent to art ¹ + -ist

Example Sentences

But he built his oeuvre out of accretion, on the artworks of other artists, especially the Readymades of Marcel Duchamp.

From The Wall Street Journal

One time-honored way to do that is by teaming up with American artists.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, the full-time artist lives in a part of Florida where sightings are few and far between, so on trips to California she always makes time for one special stop.

From Los Angeles Times

As the British Museum prepares to put the Bayeux Tapestry on display in London next September, the Cambridgeshire-based artist is furiously working away on her own full-size replica.

From BBC

A Tehran-based artist in his 30s said that while people have noticed the loosening of social restrictions, they know it is part of the government’s strategy to cool the temperature.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• artisan
• composer
• expert
• inventor
• painter