masterpiece
Americannoun
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masterpieces
plural
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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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing masterpiece
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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:
“The mind-blowing stop-motion masterpiece ‘Wildwood’ is my top contender at this point,” enthuses Dave Karger.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
“But also look at a Prince album like ‘Sign o’ the Times,’ which is a masterpiece, but some of Prince’s best ideas on that album are mistakes.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
The actor plays a master thief who enlists the help of his children—who didn’t even know he existed—to whisk Da Vinci’s masterpiece out of the Louvre.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Members of the public who were not successful in the first ticket release will have two further chances to view the masterpiece when additional tickets go on sale in October and January.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
We may pause briefly before a famous masterpiece that we have been told we are supposed to admire, then ignore the gallery full of equally beautiful and important works around it.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Empress Eugénie’s diamond corsage bow brooch is a historic masterpieces of the French Crown Jewels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Two of the masterpieces stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a suburb of Nice, have yet to be recovered.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The cat may be evolution’s artwork, but it is the dog that holds sway in prints and paintings, and in many cases transforms them into masterpieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Themes emerge here that predominate in later Hitchcock masterpieces like “Vertigo” and “Psycho.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Unlike most private collections, which were located in grand homes and centered on a few signature paintings, this seemed more like a secret museum, with multiple galleries and an array of masterpieces.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
