state of the art

American  

noun

1. the latest and most sophisticated or advanced stage of a technology, art, or science.

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state of the art British  

noun

1. the level of knowledge and development achieved in a technique, science, etc, esp at present

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adjective

1. the most recent and therefore considered the best; up-to-the-minute

   a state-of-the-art amplifier

state of the art Idioms  

1. The highest level of development, very up-to-date, as in This new television set reflects the state of the art in screen technology. Despite including the word art, this term originated in technology, and its first recorded use appears in a 1910 book on the gas turbine. Today it is often used adjectivally, as in This is a state-of-the-art camera, and sometimes very loosely, as in That movie is state-of-the-art Woody Allen.

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Other Word Forms

• state-of-the-art
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of state of the art

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

state of the art

It has poured money into youth development, splurged on a state of the art training facility, and ponied up unconscionable sums to attract leading coaches from Germany, Italy and, oddly, Sweden.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

The Terafab will focus on so-called two-nanometer nodes, which represent the state of the art in semiconductor design and manufacturing.

From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026

Carter said that, since the inspection last summer, the trust had "opened state of the art maternity facilities in our new Acute Services Block at the L&D".

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026

"Our results are really pushing the state of the art," she said.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 17, 2025

This was the state of the art in the mid-1800s, and it seemed to mesh perfectly with the laws of statistical mechanics.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• advanced
• brand-new
• modern
• new
• newfangled
• ultramodern
• up-to-date