art

¹art

\ˈärt, ərt\

Definition of ART

archaic present 2d singular of be

Origin of ART

Middle English, from Old English eart; akin to Old Norse est, ert (thou) art, Old English is is

²art

noun \ˈärt\

Definition of ART

1

: skill acquired by experience, study, or observation <the art of making friends>

2

a : a branch of learning: (1) : one of the humanities (2) plural : liberal arts

b archaic : learning, scholarship

3

: an occupation requiring knowledge or skill <the art of organ building>

4

a : the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also : works so produced

b (1) : fine arts (2) : one of the fine arts (3) : a graphic art

5

a archaic : a skillful plan

b : the quality or state of being artful

6

: decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter

Examples of ART

1. a piece of modern art
2. It's a remarkable picture, but is it art?
3. The museum has a large collection of folk art.
4. He studied art in college.

Origin of ART

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin art-, ars — more at arm

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to ART

Synonyms

craft, handcraft, handicraft, trade

Antonyms

artlessness, ineptitude, ineptness, maladroitness

Related Words

skill; calling, métier (also metier), occupation, profession, vocation

Near Antonyms

amateurishness, awkwardness, clumsiness, crudeness, klutziness, rudeness; inability, inadequacy, inadequateness, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficacy, inefficiency

Synonym Discussion of ART

art, skill, cunning, artifice, craft mean the faculty of executing well what one has devised. art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power <the art of choosing the right word>. skill stresses technical knowledge and proficiency <the skill of a glassblower>. cunning suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing <a mystery plotted with great cunning>. artifice suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in nature <believed realism in film could be achieved only by artifice>. craft may imply expertness in workmanship <the craft of a master goldsmith>.

Other Handicraft Terms

biscuit, darn, tambour, wrought

Rhymes with ART

cart, chart, Chartres, dart, fart, hart, Harte, heart, kart, mart, part, smart, start, tart

³art

adjective

Definition of ART

: produced as an artistic effort or for decorative purposes <an art film> <art dolls> <art music>

First Known Use of ART

1868

Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

⁴art

abbreviation

Definition of ART

1

article

2

artificial

3

artillery

art

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

A visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination. The term art encompasses diverse media such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts, photography, and installation. The various visual arts exist within a continuum that ranges from purely aesthetic purposes at one end to purely utilitarian purposes at the other. This should by no means be taken as a rigid scheme, however, particularly in cultures in which everyday objects are painstakingly constructed and imbued with meaning. Particularly in the 20th century, debates arose over the definition of art. Figures such as Dada artist Marcel Duchamp implied that it is enough for an artist to deem something “art” and put it in a publicly accepted venue. Such intellectual experimentation continued throughout the 20th century in movements such as conceptual art and Minimalism. By the turn of the 21st century, a variety of new media (e.g., video art) further challenged traditional definitions of art. See aesthetics; art conservation and restoration; drawing; painting; printmaking; sculpture; photography; decorative arts.

Variants of ART

art also called visual art