artist

American  

[ahr-tist] / ˈɑr tɪst /

noun

1. a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.

2. a person who practices one of the fine arts, especially a painter or sculptor.

3. a person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc..

   a commercial artist.

4. a person who works in one of the performing arts, as an actor, musician, or singer; a public performer.

   a mime artist; an artist of the dance.

5. a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill.

6. a person who is expert at trickery or deceit.

   He's an artist with cards.

7. Obsolete. an artisan.

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artist British  

/ ˈɑːtɪst /

noun

1. a person who practises or is skilled in an art, esp painting, drawing, or sculpture

2. a person who displays in his work qualities required in art, such as sensibility and imagination

3. a person whose profession requires artistic expertise, esp a designer

   a commercial artist

4. a person skilled in some task or occupation

   an artist at bricklaying

5. obsolete an artisan

6. slang a person devoted to or proficient in something

   a booze artist

   a con artist

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Related Words

Artist, artisan, artiste are persons having superior skill or ability, or who are capable of producing superior work. An artist is a person engaged in some type of fine art. An artisan is engaged in a craft or applied art. An artiste is usually a skilled public performer.

Etymology

Origin of artist

First recorded in 1575–85; from Middle French artiste, from Medieval Latin artista “master of arts”; equivalent to art ¹ + -ist

Example Sentences

On Thursday morning, over 100 artists, gallerists and collectors representing 24 countries wafted into the maze that is Frieze at the Santa Monica Airport and transformed the space into a winding runway.

From Los Angeles Times

Few members of popular groups make the leap to become vital solo artists.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hawthorne’s Rome is a city of artists who gather from all over the world to drink in the cultural dynamism bottled up in its millennia of great art.

From The Wall Street Journal

The number of guitars he played on stage on Wednesday would be beyond the reach of the average new artist, for a start.

From BBC

For an indie artist, Moreno boasts an impressive slate of accolades.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• artisan
• composer
• expert
• inventor
• painter