pottery

American  

[pot-uh-ree] / ˈpɒt ə ri /

noun

potteries plural

1. ceramic ware, especially earthenware and stoneware.

2. the art or business of a potter; ceramics.

3. a place where earthen pots or vessels are made.

---

pottery British  

/ ˈpɒtərɪ /

noun

1. articles, vessels, etc, made from earthenware and dried and baked in a kiln

2. a place where such articles are made

3. the craft or business of making such articles

---

Etymology

Origin of pottery

First recorded in 1475–85; potter ¹ + -y ³

Compare meaning

How does pottery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ceramics vs. pottery

Explanation

Something made out of clay and baked in a kiln is a piece of pottery—and the craft of creating it is also pottery. You might make pottery in the arts and crafts tent at camp. Anything made from clay that's been fired, or baked at a high temperature in a kiln, is pottery. Some pottery is made on a wheel that turns while the potter forms the shape of a bowl or vase. Other pottery is formed with hands or tools that shape the clay. In the 15th century, a pottery was a potter's shed or studio.

Example Sentences

In her free time, she can often be found in a pottery studio making plates and bowls, watching Formula One, or talking endlessly about the movie “La La Land.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

Large numbers of bodies were placed quickly on top of pottery debris in an abandoned public area, which became the central focus of this study.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026

My pottery studio fee isn’t going to pay for itself—but maybe that laundromat will.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Still, I wasn’t prepared to throw away the books, art, collectible pottery and furniture I’d spent real money on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

But the world’s oldest known pottery was made in Japan 12,700 years ago.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond