fine art

noun

1
a
: art (such as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned primarily with the creation of beautiful objects
usually used in 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Horner participated in music in the youth group’s fine arts team. Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026 Crafts, jewelry, fine art and garden items will be sold at each garden. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026 International air freight costs for fine art spiked as much as 300 percent in the opening weeks of the war, according to Wang Jianmin, founder of Chinese art logistics company Top Space Art Service. Bella Bromberg, ARTnews.com, 21 Apr. 2026 The professor of fine arts, emeritus, at Aurora University is also inaugural director of AU’s Shingoethe Center, which contains thousands of items detailing the Native American experience, an outgrowth of the collection owned by Aurora residents Herbert and Martha Schingoethe. Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fine art

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fine art was in 1686

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fine art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fine%20art. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

fine art

noun
: art (as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned mainly with the creation of beautiful objects
usually used in plural

More from Merriam-Webster on fine art

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster