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

For one thing, the album’s 14 tracks are a tour de force, a masterpiece of inspired songwriting and musicianship.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

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

The Times described it as "a masterpiece in every way", and the Standard praised the film as a "colossal piece of cinema".

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 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

He stood at the entrance, drinking in the beautiful debris of Room Nineteen—his masterpiece.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art holds the country's largest collection of Italian and international art from the 19th and 209th centuries, including masterpieces by Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani and others.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

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

However, simply churning out animated masterpieces wouldn’t be enough to clone Disney’s flywheel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

Last year not one but two bakers had crafted fifty-layer-high masterpieces of sugary wonder, studded with frosted stars and flowers and figurines.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• classic
• gem
• jewel
• monument
• treasure