sculpture

American  

[skuhlp-cher] / ˈskʌlp tʃər /

noun

1. the art of carving, modeling, welding, or otherwise producing figurative or abstract works of art in three dimensions, as in relief, intaglio, or in the round.

2. such works of art collectively.

3. an individual piece of such work.

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verb (used with object)

sculptured, sculpturing

1. to carve, model, weld, or otherwise produce (a piece of sculpture).

2. to produce a portrait or image of in this way; represent in sculpture.

3. Physical Geography. to change the form of (the land surface) by erosion.

verb (used without object)

sculptured, sculpturing

1. to work as a sculptor.

sculpture British  

/ ˈskʌlptʃə /

noun

1. the art of making figures or designs in relief or the round by carving wood, moulding plaster, etc, or casting metals, etc

2. works or a work made in this way

3. ridges or indentations as on a shell, formed by natural processes

4. the gradual formation of the landscape by erosion

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verb

1. (also intr) to carve, cast, or fashion (stone, bronze, etc) three dimensionally

2. to portray (a person, etc) by means of sculpture

3. to form in the manner of sculpture, esp to shape (landscape) by erosion

4. to decorate with sculpture

Other Word Forms

• nonsculptural adjective
• nonsculpturally adverb
• resculpture verb (used with object)
• sculptural adjective
• sculpturally adverb
• unsculptural adjective

Etymology

Origin of sculpture

1350–1400; Middle English (noun) < Latin sculptūra, equivalent to sculpt ( us ) (past participle of sculpere to carve) + -ūra -ure

Example Sentences

While his wife, Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, said the sculpture was "beautiful".

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Although Mr. Edwards’s iconic “Lynch Fragments” series embodied a specific memorializing of the black experience in America, he saw the meaning of his sculpture as universal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Last July, the city unveiled the sculpture Cast in Blue, which locals have since nicknamed the Blue Blob.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Biologically and linguistically, our two species couldn’t be more different: This seemingly inorganic walking sculpture from the planet Erid communicates in a mix of whale song and stomps.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

From mahogany and ebony they made sculpture and furnished their homes.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• sculpt