decorative art

American  

noun

1. art that is meant to be useful as well as beautiful, as ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and textiles.

2. Usually decorative arts. any of the arts, as ceramics or jewelry making, whose works are created to be useful.

3. works of decorative art collectively.

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Etymology

Origin of decorative art

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Prints, paintings and works of decorative art document the philosophies, pivotal events and major figures of the time, from the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere to indigenous conflicts and George Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

‘Kumihimo: The Art of Japanese Silk Braiding by Domyo’ The history of this decorative art, which dates to the sixth century, is traced in this exhibit on view Dec. 11 through March 6.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2021

When you head indoors, you’ll find more than 1,000 works of art from the Renaissance era to the 20th century, including paintings, sculptures, decorative art and a rotating collection of photographs, drawings and manuscripts.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 20, 2021

He was also navigating the minefield of cultural appropriation: Would such decorative art assume a different significance when used by an African, African-American or white photographer in a shoot?

From New York Times • Dec. 3, 2020

Representative art languishes, except a few childish terra-cottas; decorative art becomes once more purely geometrical, but shows only slight affinity with the contemporary geometrical art of the Aegean.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various