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

Comedian Carly Smallman said art form recognition for comedy would open up support routes available to other creative industries.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Such was the case for “Start Over,” a dizzying homage to the rave music Day considers its own art form.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

But at the tail end of his monologue, O’Brien assured viewers that the Oscars exist to honor cinema as an art form, not for the Hollywood industrial complex patting itself on the back.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2026

Zaman was inspired by the Japanese art form kirigami, like origami but instead of merely folding paper to achieve a 3D shape, kirigami also involves cutting.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

No explicit objectives in the art form are articulated.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin