art form

American  

noun

1. the more or less established structure, pattern, or scheme followed in shaping an artistic work.

   The sonata, the sonnet, and the novel are all art forms.

2. a medium for artistic expression.

   ballet, sculpture, opera, and other art forms.

3. a medium other than the artistic regarded as having highly developed or systematized rules, procedures, or formulations.

   international diplomacy regarded as an art form.

---

art form British  

noun

1. a conventionally established form of artistic composition, such as the symphony or the sonnet

2. a recognized medium of artistic expression

---

Etymology

Origin of art form

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

art form

Matano beat out dozens of other artists to secure the commission to create the sculpture and, after many months, has completed a preliminary clay art form, according to the release.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

"There is a lot of skill and imagination involved. It's an art form, really."

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

The countless repetitions give you the most beautiful art form where swans glide, fairies dance and every year a giant nutcracker appears.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Netflix and other streamers have already split the film industry down the middle, separating those who venerate the art form from those who venerate the dollar, leaving many Hollywood titans flailing somewhere in the middle.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

Molly was out, which was probably for the best, because Molly took stubborn to an art form and could not be convinced to trust Boaz.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny