atelier
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of atelier
First recorded in 1830–40; from French: literally, “pile of chips” (hence, “workshop”), from Old French astele “chip (from Late Latin astella “splinter,” diminutive of Latin astula, assula “splinter,” equivalent to ass(is) “plank, board” + -ula ) + -ier noun suffix; see -ule, -ier 2
Explanation
An atelier is a workshop where an artist creates. An atelier is basically a studio, but it sounds way cooler. It’s a French word, so say it with an accent. An atelier is a room where artists make their work. A painter’s atelier will be full of paint, brushes, canvases, and other tools of the trade. Sculptors and designers also have ateliers. An atelier gives the artist the space and privacy needed to create. An atelier is a place of creativity.
Vocabulary lists containing atelier
The Awakening
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Art History
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Furia
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Christine is only slightly more experienced, no longer an atelier apprentice, but is just beginning to prove herself, constructing her first garment entirely on her own.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
They set up a workbench outside their shuttered atelier showing they were ready to work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Seamstresses from the Valentino atelier, next to the Foundation, joined the hundreds of mourners paying their respects, while the windows in the Valentino shop were shrouded by blackout blinds.
From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026
Featuring a fantastical garden of creatures lining the windows, all created using upcycled fabrics by the atelier, I had to pause on the sidewalk to whip out my phone and capture the scene before me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
Edna went up to her atelier —a bright room in the top of the house.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
In Canton, painters like Lam Qua headed ateliers devoted to Export art, adapting styles from expatriate artists such as George Chinnery to gain foreign clientele.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
Lii is Chinese-born, has ateliers in Shanghai and Paris and is now based in Antwerp, Belgium.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2024
After years in which French ateliers seemed to have the last word on what was chic, her designs spurred a youth movement in fashion.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 13, 2023
A lucky few had the time, space and patience to build full-fledged, soundproof musical ateliers.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2023
Botteghe or ateliers have their points but they are never home.
From Voices from the Past by Bartlett, Paul Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
