the quality, production, expression, or realm of things that conform to accepted aesthetic principles of beauty, show imagination and skill, and have more than ordinary meaning and importance.
Art is a characteristic human activity.
My parents and I disagree about what qualifies as art.
the class of objects that meet or are subject to aesthetic criteria; objects considered beautiful, imaginative, skillful, and meaningful collectively, such as paintings, sculptures, or drawings.
The palace houses a remarkable collection of art.
The local museum of art currently has a special exhibit of the works of Kurelek.
the visual or fine arts collectively, often excluding architecture.
She dabbled in art, including painting and sculpture.
the arts, the fine arts together with literature and the performing arts.
I attended a high school that emphasized the arts, and I took every drama course I could.
There never seems to be enough public funding for the arts.
a field, genre, or category of creative, imaginative, skilled activity that meets or is subject to aesthetic criteria.
Poetry and dance are arts.
any craft or field of creative activity applying aesthetic principles, skill, and technique.
She does graphic art for an advertising company.
arts,
the cluster of academic disciplines dealing with art, literature, languages, philosophy, etc., as distinct from the natural and social sciences and the technical or professional fields; the humanities.
He teaches in the College of Arts and Sciences.
There are fewer opportunities these days for graduates with a degree in arts.
the humanities together with the natural and social sciences, as opposed to the professional and technical fields; liberal arts.
Are you at the Faculty of Arts, or at one of the professional faculties?
a branch of learning or university study, especially one of the fine arts or the humanities, such as music, philosophy, or literature.
We attended a brilliant lecture on the role of the arts of philosophy and rhetoric in expanding knowledge.
the principles, techniques, or methods governing any craft, trade, or profession.
the art of baking;
the art of selling.
the craft, trade, or profession using these principles, techniques, or methods.
skill in conducting any human activity.
You are a master at the art of conversation!
From my mother, I learned the art of making perfectly cooked pasta.
skilled workmanship, execution, or agency, as distinguished from nature.
Do these shrubs in your garden owe their shape to art or to nature?
(in printed matter) illustrative or decorative material.
Is there any art with the copy for this story?
trickery or cunning, or an instance of this.
Don’t be taken in by their devious art.
She is adept at the innumerable arts and wiles of politics.
pretense or artificiality in behavior.
He had a manner free of art and affectation.
Archaic. science, learning, or scholarship.
article; articles.
artificial.
artillery.
artist.
the creation of works of beauty or other special significance
( as modifier )
an art movement
the exercise of human skill (as distinguished from nature )
imaginative skill as applied to representations of the natural world or figments of the imagination
excellence or aesthetic merit of conception or execution as exemplified by such works
any branch of the visual arts, esp painting
(modifier) intended to be artistic or decorative
art needlework
any field using the techniques of art to display artistic qualities
advertising art
( as modifier )
an art film
journalism photographs or other illustrations in a newspaper, etc
method, facility, or knack
the art of threading a needle
the art of writing letters
the system of rules or principles governing a particular human activity
the art of government
artfulness; cunning
to become highly proficient at something through practice
What does -art mean? The combining form -art is a suffix denoting “someone who engages often in an activity,” and it is frequently pejorative. It is very rarely used in a handful of terms. The form -art comes from German -hard, meaning “strong; hardy; hard,” which is a cognate of English hard. What are variants of -art?In most instances, the form -art is spelled -ard, as in drunkard. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article about -ard.
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ars (stem art- ) “skill, craft, craftsmanship”
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English eart, equivalent to ear- ( see are 1) + -t ending of 2nd person singular
Art is the expression of ideas and emotions through a physical medium, like painting, sculpture, film, dance, writing, photography, or theatre. If you love the creative process, maybe you'll devote your life to art. The definition of art is constantly changing and evolving to include different types of activity, and the question “What is art?” has been discussed for thousands of years. Some people believe that art is the attempt to create beautiful objects, while others call art all of the works that appear in a gallery or museum, whether beautiful or ugly. Art can also mean a specific skill you’ve learned, like the art of baking a delicious pie.
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Truly creative and inspiring art undermines that goal, because it provokes responses like empathy and critical thinking in audiences — which gets in the way of authoritarian domination.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
He appreciates the scope of projects he’s done so far, from the massive scale of production on “House of the Dragon” to smaller art house films.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
He was awarded the Norwegian Rafto Prize for Human Rights in 2024 "for his fearless opposition to authoritarianism through art."
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
In 1995, when he was asked to lecture about childhood as depicted in 18th-century British art, what surprised him was all the dogs pictured among the children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Given the art teacher's temper, Jeremy knew this was the safest reaction.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
A study conducted at Manchester Art Gallery found that visitors who discussed what they were seeing with others left feeling more positive, more connected and closer to the people they came with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Joey Bang, who has run Sign Art on Pico for two decades, said parking is already difficult for both businesses and residents nearby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Take, for instance, the three stooges of “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
In addition to the International and Festival Fringe events, the Book Festival, Art Festival and Film Festival are all held in the city centre during August.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
To-day Harker is out following up his clue, and Art and Quincey are looking after horses.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
The survival rate has risen "from five percent in 2000 to 10 percent today", ART gastroenterologist Birane Beye said.
From Barron's ● Nov. 20, 2025
Even with lifelong ART treatment, the virus remains latent in reservoirs throughout the body that can reactivate at any time, and over the long-term, these reservoirs can contribute to chronic inflammation and comorbidities.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2024
The ART Act, she said, was introduced to stop commercial use of surrogacy, to regulate and supervise clinics, not to impinge upon personal freedoms of aggrieved parents.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2024
It also shows that Lipka joined ART’s board of directors that year, and received a $149,000 loan from ART for “program service revenue receivables.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2024
What will I do then, when all my hopes of making things better are in the same basket marked ART SCHOOL?
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
And he has lofty artistic ambitions in movies and beyond -art, philanthropy, music - and would like to work with directors like Gaspar Noe, Terrence Malick, Wes Anderson, the Coens and the Nolans.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 5, 2018
Here used in contempt, like many other words with the suffix -ard, or -art, as braggart, sluggard, etc.
From Milton's Comus by Bell, William
"I don't think so. I don't think it's an art. No."
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
Adds Reif, our tour guide: “Out here, it’s just you, the vines, the sky and the art. Nothing’s between you and the feeling.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025
The Polish embassy said Smuss "lectured youth on the history of Polish Jews and expressed his memories through art. His legacy endures."
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2025
“Drew made event art. His posters made many of our movies into destinations,” director Steven Spielberg said in a statement, adding: “In his own invented style, nobody drew like Drew.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
“My mom loves collecting black art. It’s all through the house. That’s where Mia gets it from.”
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
A new study from University College London found that regular arts and cultural engagement—including visiting galleries, attending concerts, singing and dancing—slows biological aging at the same rate as physical exercise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
What counts as arts engagement is broader than most people assume.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
River inspired Arturo Gonzalez to found his arts education nonprofit that focuses on gang intervention among young people in East L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Sheeran championed the scheme to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy last year, as they visited the non-profit arts organisation Brighten The Corners, in Ipswich.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Last year in the language arts class Audrey and I were in together, our teacher campaigned against cliches so enthusiastically that Audrey started using them on purpose.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
