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.

---

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

---

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

• resculpture
  verb (used with object)
• 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

See Examples For:

sculpture sculptures sculptured sculpturing

The town’s ice sculpture competition is in danger of being canceled forever.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

He also presented Xi with a sculpture of a bald eagle, America's national symbol, saying it embodied "the free and soaring spirit of America".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

Authorities are reviewing surveillance video in an effort to identify the suspects — and potentially get the sculpture of Jesus back.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Now in Paris, they plan to fly to Mexico City this fall, where Aggrey will study sculpture and the country’s water crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

We can readily understand Michelangelo’s discomfort, for Titian has rephrased his sculpture in utterly sensuous terms through the painterly application of sonorous color that is characteristic of his work.

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

Among the objects are a car door by American artist Edward Kienholz, a group of vigango sculptures, portions of a Ghanaian barbershop, and life-size sculptures of Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Trained as a forensic pathologist, Ms. Margolles focuses on violence and the forces that drive it in sculptures, photographs and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

The work of artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, the new garden has been expanded to some 60 sculptures while its relationship to the National Mall and to the Hirshhorn Museum’s plaza has been strengthened.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

There is also a smattering of sculptures, including a joyful mother and child by Fernando Botero and a series of full-scale creations featuring some of “Star Wars” most beloved characters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

I run toward it, gazing at the brightly painted sculptures of many-armed gods and goddesses decorating the roof.

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

His charming, whimsical collection featured ruffled tutus, sculptured soft knits, peplum jackets, skirts with bustles and plenty of shearling fabric.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

Natalie Tanner was one of the first people to move into the development, and said she was promised sculptured gardens, which are yet to materialise.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2023

The idea is that you place your hand inside the mouth of this large sculptured mask, and then let the magic of the Bocca della Verita be your lie detector.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 11, 2021

Her new collection — the result of a continuing collaboration with artisans in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest — includes vessels, furniture and sculptured objects made of wood.

From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2021

His sister was almost as tall as I, with dark, vivacious eyes and a face almost exactly like Danny’s, except that the sculptured lines were a good deal softer.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

A busboy is embraced by the beatnik art community when he develops an impressive but morbid method of sculpturing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2019

With the promise of sculpturing lean, long muscles, his workout has attracted celebrity devotees, including Sofía Vergara and Kim Kardashian.

From New York Times ● Sep. 19, 2014

This required detailed sculpturing and structuring to animate properly.

From New York Times ● Aug. 12, 2012

It can range from painting or sculpturing to commissioning manufactured items like the sets of boxlike aluminum and plexiglass units to which Donald Judd gave no title.

From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2011

The original surface of the peak is clearly indicated by the tops of the great rocks which have survived the glacial sculpturing.

From The Mountain that was 'God' Being a Little Book About the Great Peak Which the Indians Named 'Tacoma' but Which is Officially Called 'Rainier' by John H. (John Harvey) Williams

Related Words

• sculpt