art

1 of 5

noun

ˈärt 

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)

arts 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

the art of painting landscapes

also : works so produced

a gallery for modern art

b(1)

: fine arts

(2)

: one of the fine arts

(3)

: one of the graphic arts

5

a

archaic : a skillful plan

b

: the quality or state of being artful (see artful sense 2a)

6

: decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter

art

2 of 5

adjective

: produced as an artistic effort or for decorative purposes

an art film

art dolls

art music

art

3 of 5

ˈärt 

ərt

archaic present tense second-person singular of be

art

4 of 5

abbreviation

1

article

2

artificial

3

artillery

-art

5 of 5

noun suffix

see -ard

Synonyms

Noun

• craft
• trade
• skill
• handicraft

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of art in a Sentence

Noun

a piece of modern art

It's a remarkable picture, but is it art?

The museum has a large collection of folk art.

He studied art in college.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood. —Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025

When Malene Birger left her eponymous fashion brand to pursue art and interior design over a decade ago, a love affair with Mallorca was already well underway. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2025

Adjective

And what seems like fable is in fact autobiography, now being told in a multi-art performance by South Florida dancer-choreographer-director Pioneer Winter alongside special members of his collective. —Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025

The inevitable controversy would serve as an excellent art history lesson for a new generation, introducing one of the most important moments in twentieth-century culture—the origins of conceptual art—to a wider, non-art audience. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 8 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "craft, principles of a craft or a field of knowledge, one of the seven fields of study comprising the medieval school curriculum, practical knowledge, code of behavior," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, "skill, craft, knowledge, deceit, sorcery," borrowed from Latin art-, ars "acquired skill, craftsmanship, stratagem, behavior (in plural artēs), systematic body of knowledge and techniques, profession, artistic achievement," going back to Indo-European *h₂r̥-ti- "act of fitting or joining" (whence also, perhaps from an adverbialized locative, Greek árti "just now," arti- "fitting, correct," Armenian ard "just now," Lithuanian artì "close by"), nominal derivative from the verbal base *h₂er- "fit, join" — more at arm entry 3

Note: M. de Vaan (Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the Other Italic Languages, Brill, 2008) also adduces from *h₂r̥-ti- Old Avestan ārəiti- "reward" (Young Avestan aṣ̌i-). Compare, also with zero grade ablaut and -t- suffixes, Sanskrit ṛtáḥ "right, true," ṛtúḥ "fixed time, order, rule." See also article entry 1, artiodactyl.

Adjective

from attributive use of art entry 1

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1853, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing art

• anti-art
• art deco
• art for art's sake
• art form
• art glass
• art historical
• art house
• art moderne
• art nouveau
• art-rock
• art song
• art theater
• art therapy
• black art
• clip art
• conceptual art
• decorative art
• fan art
• fine art
• folk art
• junk art
• kinetic art
• lost art
• martial art
• minimal art
• op art
• optical art
• paleo-art
• performance art
• plastic art
• pop art
• practical art
• prior art
• state of the art
• term of art
• tramp art
• work of art

Rhymes for art

• cart
• carte
• chart
• dart
• fart
• haart
• mart
• part
• smart
• start
• tart
• apart

Kids Definition

art

1 of 2

(ˈ)ärt 

ərt

archaic present 2nd singular of be

art

2 of 2 noun

ˈärt 

1

: skill that comes through experience or study

the art of making friends

2

: a branch of learning

especially : one of the nonscientific branches of learning (as literature)

—usually used in plural

a degree in the arts

3

: an occupation that requires knowledge or skill

cooking is an art

4

: the use of skill and creativity especially in the making of things that are beautiful to look at, listen to, or read

5

: the works (as pictures, poems, or songs) produced by artists

Etymology

Old English eart "art"

Noun

Middle English art "art, skill," from early French art (same meaning), from Latin art-, ars "skill"

Medical Definition

ART

abbreviation

1

accredited record technician

The education and training necessary to become an ART (accredited record technician) is available through a two-year associate degree program for medical records technicians at a junior or community college.

—The Chicago Tribune

2

assisted reproductive technology

A quarter century after the first "test tube" baby, the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has risen astronomically.

—Anna Mulrine, U.S. News & World Report

Nationally, about 107,000 ART procedures—which include IVF and related procedures that consist of the egg and sperm being handled outside the body—are performed.

—Helena Oliviero, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Legal Definition

art

abbreviation

article