artist

noun

art·​ist ˈär-tist 

plural artists

1

a

: a person who creates art (such as painting, sculpture, music, or writing) using conscious skill and creative imagination

the great artists of the Renaissance

an artist specializing in watercolors

b

: a person skilled in any of the arts

I can't draw at all, but both of my children are very talented artists.

2

: a skilled performer

a trapeze artist

especially : a musical or theatrical entertainer : artiste

a jazz artist

3

: a person who is very good at something

a scam artist

a strikeout artist

4

a

obsolete : one skilled or versed in learned arts

b

archaic : physician

c

archaic : artisan sense 1

Synonyms of artist

• expert
• scholar
• master
• virtuoso
• adept
• wizard
• guru

Examples of artist in a Sentence

the great artists of the Renaissance

a pitcher who is a strikeout artist

Recent Examples on the Web

The shows, for me, brought up the idea of legacy, how it’s minted in real time and shaped not just by the artist but also the fans and the exchange of energy between them. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 July 2026

The Barbadian musician has pushed 30 songs into the competitive region, more than any other artist in the tally’s history. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Perhaps a Dictionary of the Moon and an Embassy of the Moon, as Dutch artist Marjolijn van Heemstra has proposed, will become possibilities in the future. — Aparna Venkatesan, Space.com, 20 July 2026

Platform, which is for large-scale works, will be by Jovanna Venegas, curator at SculptureCenter in New York; Focus, for solo and two-artist presentations, will be done by María Elena Ortiz, curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 20 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French artiste "person practicing a craft, student of the liberal arts," borrowed from Medieval Latin artista "artificer, student of the liberal arts," from Latin art-, ars "acquired skill, art entry 1" + -ista -ist entry 1

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 4c

Phrases Containing artist

• con artist
• Conceptual artist
• escape artist
• flimflam artist/man
• paleo-artist
• Pop artist
• recording artist

Rhymes for artist

• chartist
• smartest
• bonapartist

Kids Definition

artist

noun

art·​ist ˈärt-əst 

1

: a person skilled in one of the arts (as painting, sculpture, music, or writing)

2

: a person showing unusual ability in an occupation requiring skill