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art director

American  
[ahrt di-rek-ter, dahy-] / ˈɑrt dɪˌrɛk tər, daɪ- /

noun

  1. Movies, Television. the person who determines the staging requirements for a production and often designs the sets or supervises their building and dressing.

  2. Also called art editor.  a person who is responsible for the selection, execution, production, etc., of graphic art for a publication, advertising agency, or the like.

  3. artistic director.


art director British  

noun

  1. a person responsible for the sets and costumes in a film

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of art director

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"I've worked on a lot of different projects, but always had an eye to Bond," Rasmus Poulsen, art director for "007 First Light", set for release on Wednesday, told AFP ahead of the game's publication.

From Barron's May 26, 2026

Previously, she held art director positions at the New York Times, Quartz and Penguin Random House, among others.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 20, 2026

She co-writes, directs and stars in this highly stylized, wonderfully DIY handmade project, beautifully designed with gruesomely gothic sets by production designer Becca Morrin and art director Ashley Devereux.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 27, 2026

“There’s a lot of anxiety around technology and the way we engage with it,” said Joseph Alessio, a designer and art director in Oakland, Calif.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 13, 2025

Caroline appoints me official art director of the paper chain, which means I’m going to have to do most of it and supervise the rest.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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