masterpiece

American  

[mas-ter-pees, mah-ster-] / ˈmæs tərˌpis, ˈmɑ stər- /

noun

• masterpieces
  plural

1. a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.

2. anything done with masterly skill.

   a masterpiece of improvisation.

3. a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.

   The chef 's cake was a masterpiece.

4. a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a guild or other craft organization as a proof of competence.

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masterpiece British  

/ ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs, ˈmɑːstəˌwɜːk /

noun

1. an outstanding work, achievement, or performance

2. the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• masterpieces
  plural

Etymology

Origin of masterpiece

1570–80; master + piece, modeled on Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück

Explanation

Many people have to agree that a painting or a novel is wonderful, and they usually need to feel that way for years, in order for it to be considered a true masterpiece. An artist or writer is generally capable of creating only one masterpiece in her lifetime, if she makes a masterpiece at all. When an art historian or English teacher uses it, the word masterpiece implies a truly sublime, amazing creation. You can also describe something that's simply great as a masterpiece, like the seven-layer chocolate cake your mom baked for your birthday. Masterpiece comes from the Dutch meesterstuk, "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

masterpiece masterpieces

Choose your own culinary adventure: The most advanced ordering system in the food industry is the multiple-choice menu that lets you assemble a masterpiece from every filling, topping, and garnish in existence.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

For decades, the city of Los Angeles and private foundations have invested in preserving the towers, the 102-year-old masterpiece of folk art built by Italian immigrant Sabato “Simon” Rodia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Called out for bows, composer and singer fell into each other’s arms with the same ardor they had brought to the creation of their masterpiece.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

No one outside the Marvel fan ecosystem is arguing that “Avengers: Endgame,” one of the highest-grossing films of all time, is a cinematic masterpiece on par with the all-time great classics.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

“Listen, your daddy was a real masterpiece at one time. I joked in there that I couldn’t remember him,” she says, pointing back at the house.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

It was the year Glass wrote “Einstein on the Beach” and Steve Reich created “Music for 18 Musicians” — the composers’ first masterpieces — demonstrating that Minimalism mattered.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Julian Gascoigne, senior director in Sotheby's paintings department, said it was one of Landseer's great Highland masterpieces.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

How does Steven Spielberg’s new sci-fi movie stack up to masterpieces like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026

Estimated by art historians to have been begun sometime after 1317, the frescoes are considered to be one of Giotto di Bondone's masterpieces.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

The work that eventually emerged from all this anguish, his fifth symphony, premiered in November 1937, is now recognised as one of the classical masterpieces of the twentieth century.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• classic
• gem
• jewel
• monument
• treasure