masterpiece
Americannoun
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a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.
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anything done with masterly skill.
a masterpiece of improvisation.
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a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.
The chef 's cake was a masterpiece.
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a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a guild or other craft organization as a proof of competence.
noun
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an outstanding work, achievement, or performance
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the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc
Etymology
Origin of masterpiece
1570–80; master + piece, modeled on Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück
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.
In his program note, Sharon quotes the doom-laden philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer as an inspiration for Wagner’s nothing-is-real masterpiece.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Following an extensive, three-year restoration of “Ankhmerwer”—led by Ahmed Tarek with Brooklyn Museum conservators Lisa Bruno, Sara Bone and Josephine Jenks—“Unrolling Eternity” reintroduces this masterpiece to the public.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Ridings had been thrust into the limelight with her Brit Award-nominated debut in 2017, celebrated for her rich, pure-toned vocals on ballads like Lost Without You and the summery pop masterpiece Castles.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 satirical masterpiece “Dr. Strangelove” brilliantly parodied the lunacy of the nuclear threat during the Cold War.
From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026
“The belief is very general,” the New York Times reported, “that the Florentine masterpiece is now in America.”
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
