fine art

noun

1

a

: art (such as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned primarily with the creation of beautiful objects

—usually plural

b

: objects of fine art

2

: an activity requiring a fine skill

Examples of fine art in a Sentence

a collector of fine art

She studies painting in the department of fine arts.

We saw the sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts.

the fine art of gourmet cooking

Recent Examples on the Web

Max’s enduring commercial appeal—and his widespread presence across multiple markets—kept him at odds with the fine art world. — News Desk, Artforum, 17 Sep. 2026

Festival-goers will find more than dozens of booths, including a large children’s area, a historical exhibit documenting local Hispanic settlers, and a fine art exhibit. — Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 15 Sep. 2026

With 20 works in the Lucas Museum’s collection, Los Angeles artist Kadir Nelson embodies the overlap between popular visual culture and fine art. — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Designers Pei, Chen, Ying, Feng and Xu showed designs pushing the line between fashion and fine art. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for fine art

• counterpart
• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart

Kids Definition

fine art

noun

: art (as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned mainly with the creation of beautiful objects

—usually used in plural