sculpture

American  

[skuhlp-cher] / ˈskʌlp tʃər /

noun

sculptures plural

1. the art of carving, modeling, welding, or otherwise producing figurative or abstract works of art in three dimensions, as in relief, intaglio, or in the round.

2. such works of art collectively.

3. an individual piece of such work.

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verb (used with object)

sculptures, present (3rd person singular) sculptured, past participle, past sculpturing present participle

1. to carve, model, weld, or otherwise produce (a piece of sculpture).

2. to produce a portrait or image of in this way; represent in sculpture.

3. Physical Geography. to change the form of (the land surface) by erosion.

verb (used without object)

sculptures, present (3rd person singular) sculptured, past participle, past sculpturing present participle

1. to work as a sculptor.

sculpture British  

/ ˈskʌlptʃə /

noun

1. the art of making figures or designs in relief or the round by carving wood, moulding plaster, etc, or casting metals, etc

2. works or a work made in this way

3. ridges or indentations as on a shell, formed by natural processes

4. the gradual formation of the landscape by erosion

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verb

1. (also intr) to carve, cast, or fashion (stone, bronze, etc) three dimensionally

2. to portray (a person, etc) by means of sculpture

3. to form in the manner of sculpture, esp to shape (landscape) by erosion

4. to decorate with sculpture

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsculptural
  adjective
• sculptural
  adjective
• unsculptural
  adjective
• nonsculpturally
  adverb
• sculpturally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sculptures
  plural

Participles

• sculpturing
  present
• sculptured
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sculpture
  simple
• sculptures
  simple
• have sculptured
  perfect
• has sculptured
  perfect
• am sculpturing
  progressive
• are sculpturing
  progressive
• is sculpturing
  progressive
• have been sculpturing
  perfect progressive
• has been sculpturing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sculptured
  simple
• had sculptured
  perfect
• was sculpturing
  progressive
• were sculpturing
  progressive
• had been sculpturing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sculpture
  simple
• will have sculptured
  perfect
• will be sculpturing
  progressive
• will have been sculpturing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sculpture

1350–1400; Middle English (noun) < Latin sculptūra, equivalent to sculpt ( us ) (past participle of sculpere to carve) + -ūra -ure

Explanation

Sculpture is a type of artwork that's two- or three-dimensional, so you can see it from different sides. You can make sculpture from clay, marble, wood, and even mashed potatoes, though the potato kind might not make it into an art museum. From the Latin sculpere "to carve," sculpture often is carved out of a block of wood, stone, or other material. Statues and outdoor artworks are one type of sculpture, and they are freestanding — you can walk around them, under them, or even over them. Other types are carved into walls, with the figures or objects sticking out from a flat surface. Artists called sculptors use soft materials, metal, and even ice and common objects like cars and cans to make sculpture.

Example Sentences

Sculpture, installation art, photography, and drawing with ink and charcoal all appealed to him.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Sculpture embraces new materials and techniques in creations by H.C.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

While we were in New Orleans, we visited one of our favorite places, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2025

Essex Police said the work, called La Promesse, was taken from Anne Curry Sculpture, at Newland End, Arkesden, near Saffron Walden, between 5 and 6 December.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2025

Sculpture is categorized according to whether it is carved or modeled and whether it is a relief or a free-standing statue.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Related Words

• sculpt