1
: skill acquired by experience, study, or observation
the art of making friends
2
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
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
: produced as an artistic effort or for decorative purposes
an art film
art dolls
art music
1
article
2
artificial
3
artillery
see -ard
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
Essence, 7 July 2025
Additionally, stoneware pans, especially bundt pans, double as pieces of art.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
Chad De Guzman, TIME, 8 May 2024
Dyer noted that buildings that once housed art spaces in downtown Salt Lake City are being torn down or being used for non-art purposes.
—Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for art
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Biographer Robin Givhan talks about how Virgil Abloh, the dynamic, game-changing subject of her latest work, broke barriers, changed paradigms, and reshaped the worlds of fashion and art, with a special nod to the role of Black music and themes of freedom and joy.
—Essence, 7 July 2025
Additionally, stoneware pans, especially bundt pans, double as pieces of art.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
Adjective
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
Dyer noted that buildings that once housed art spaces in downtown Salt Lake City are being torn down or being used for non-art purposes.
—Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for art
Cite this Entry
“Art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/art. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
art
2 of 2 noun1
: 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
abbreviation1
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
The Chicago Tribune2
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
Anna Mulrine, U.S. News & World ReportNationally, 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
Helena Oliviero, The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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