masterpiece

[ mas-ter-pees, mah-ster- ]

/ ˈmæs tərˌpis, ˈmɑ stər- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR masterpiece ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

anything done with masterly skill: a masterpiece of improvisation.

a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind: The chef's cake was a masterpiece.

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

Nearby words

Origin of masterpiece

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for masterpiece

The masterpiece is huge, but structurally flawed and terribly vulnerable to seismic activity.
Florence Preps ‘David’ for the Big One|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the masterpiece Mr. Turner, Mike Leigh translates the soul of his characters on screen.
Mike Leigh Is the Master Filmmaker Who Hates Hollywood|Nico Hines|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two decades on from his masterpiece on anti-Americanism abroad, Whit Stillman remains obsessed with native-expat dynamics.
Whit Stillman on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Barcelona’, His New Amazon Series, and the Myth of the Ugly Expat|Michael Weiss|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Think twice about filming that two-minute masterpiece and making yourself the next Paris Hilton (if you're lucky).
So You Want to be a Porn Star? Inside the Sex Tape Phenomenon|Aurora Snow|July 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Did it have anything to do with you starring with Zac Efron in the masterpiece that was Charlie St. Cloud?
Dave Franco Uncut: The Actor on ’22 Jump Street,’ ‘The Room,’ and His Bro’s Nude Instagrams|Marlow Stern|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Inspiration, alone, dictated this masterpiece; it rose from the composer's soul like a cry of love!
Massimilla Doni|Honore de Balzac
Malgaigne declares Chauliac's "Chirurgia Magna" to be "a masterpiece of learned and luminous writing."
Old-Time Makers of Medicine|James J. Walsh
Sick and beaten, Paul took the masterpiece back to his skylight room.
The Man Upstairs|P. G. Wodehouse
This letter was not, in my eyes, a masterpiece, but neither was it from a vulgar hand.
The Memoirs of Madame de Montespan, Complete|Madame La Marquise De Montespan
There is a play of line in the mullions, which, considering their size and strength, may be pronounced quite a masterpiece of art.
Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for masterpiece

masterpiece

less commonly masterwork (ˈmɑːstəˌwɜːk)

/ (ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs) /

noun

an outstanding work, achievement, or performance

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

Word Origin for masterpiece

C17: compare Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück, a sample of work submitted to a guild by a craftsman in order to qualify for the rank of master

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for masterpiece

masterpiece

c.1600, from master (n.) + piece (n.). A loan-translation of Dutch meesterstuk "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master" (or its German cognate Meisterstück).

masterpiece

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of masterpiece

Examples from the Web for masterpiece

British Dictionary definitions for masterpiece

masterpiece

less commonly masterwork (ˈmɑːstəˌwɜːk)

noun

Word Origin for masterpiece

Word Origin and History for masterpiece

masterpiece