art director
Americannoun
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Movies, Television. the person who determines the staging requirements for a production and often designs the sets or supervises their building and dressing.
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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.
noun
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.
The book cover is an existing painting by Brooklyn-based artist Naruki Kukita, selected by veteran art director Martha Kennedy with Kemp’s input.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
Anna Macdonald, an art director there, said engagement with "exciting visuals and incredible storylines" gave children "a break" from the everyday.
From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025
Then there’s Phil Hayes’s efforts as the art director and background specialist.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Ryman’s work was in fact an iteration of sorts, based upon years of master planning from Walt Disney and early collaborator Marvin Davis, a cinematic art director responsible for much of Disneyland’s early designs.
From Los Angeles Times • May 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
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.
