fine art

American  

[fahyn ahrt] / ˈfaɪn ˈɑrt /

noun

• fine arts
  plural

1. a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolor, graphics, and architecture.

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fine art British  

noun

1. art produced chiefly for its aesthetic value, as opposed to applied art

2. Also called: beaux arts.  (often plural) any of the fields in which such art is produced, such as painting, sculpture, and engraving

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fine art Idioms  

1. Something requiring highly developed techniques and skills, as in He's turned lying into a fine art, or The contractor excels in the fine art of demolition. This term alludes to the fine arts, such as music, painting, and sculpture, which require both skill and talent. It is now often used to describe anything that takes skill to do. [First half of 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fine arts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fine art

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fine art

Play is the primary side dish at “7 Paintings,” a tech-infused dinner theater that aims to be a crash course in fine art.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

A fine art and news photographer for decades, Cooley, 51, is using pictures like the one he snapped of the tree as part of his new project, “In the Gardens of Eaton.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Baseman’s work melds the worlds of fine art and toymaking.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

With sculptures by Daniel Chester French, the monument on the eastern edge of Central Park is a work of serene classicism that puts architecture on the same level as fine art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026

“Fiona is already being trained in the fine art of release,” The Giver told him.

From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry