artist

[ahr-tist]

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.

artist

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of artist¹

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Image: The picture shows an artist’s recreation of the asteroid with the space mission landing on it.

Read more on Space Scoop

He said the project, which will open next June after two years of work, was an homage to an earlier work by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Read more on Barron's

It was heading for the charts in the UK and the US but was banned by streaming services after record industry bodies issued takedown notices, alleging the track violated copyright by impersonating another artist.

Read more on BBC

“That has been my experience with this great artist and human being, who deserves to be in that place that only corresponds to her.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The horizontal city is just too big to fully gentrify; there was always another neighborhood where an artist could find studio space, or a gallery could open up shop.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• artisan 
• composer 
• expert 
• inventor 
• painter