artist

noun

art·ist ˈär-tist

plural artists

: a person who creates art (such as painting, sculpture, music, or writing) using conscious skill and creative imagination

the great artists of the Renaissance

an artist specializing in watercolors

: a person skilled in any of the arts

I can't draw at all, but both of my children are very talented artists.

: a skilled performer

a trapeze artist

especially : a musical or theatrical entertainer : artiste

a jazz artist

: a person who is very good at something

a scam artist

a strikeout artist

obsolete : one skilled or versed in learned arts

archaic : physician

archaic : artisan sense 1

Examples of artist in a Sentence

the great artists of the Renaissance a pitcher who is a strikeout artist

Recent Examples on the Web As Brittney Boyce, the celebrity nail artist responsible for some of Megan Fox and Kim Kardashian's most Insta-worthy manis, explains, a gel manicure involves the use of an LED light to cure the polish and create that hard exterior to make nails chip-resistant and shiny. —

Audrey Noble, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023 Makeup artist Avia Solomon used Rare Beauty products (duh) on the star, including the Best of Beauty-winning Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Bliss and Kind Words Lip Liner and Matte Lipstick in Fun and Talented, respectively. —

Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Nov. 2023 The artist’s past full-length features, like her 2016 musical film Lemonade and the Afrocentric Black Is King, were limited to HBO or streaming services. —

Jaelani Turner-Williams, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2023 Are there contemporary artists that have been influential to you in recent years? —

Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2023 The artist had received treatment for cancer in the past. —

Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 26 Nov. 2023 The brand’s red light therapy wand has become a go-to for celebrity makeup artists who have used them on A-list clients like Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Mandy Moore. —

Alex Nelson, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023 Other artists, including Malú, Ana Mena, Arde Bogotá, Omar Montes, Reik, Nicki Nicole, Kenia OS and María José Llergo, were also at the event ,which took place in Hacienda Azahares. —

Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 15 Nov. 2023 The special honors artists including comedian Billy Crystal, soprano Renée Fleming, Bee Gees member and singer-songwriter Barry Gibb, television host and singer Dionne Warwick, and actor, rapper and singer Queen Latifah. —

Valerie Wu, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'artist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French artiste "person practicing a craft, student of the liberal arts," borrowed from Medieval Latin artista "artificer, student of the liberal arts," from Latin art-, ars "acquired skill, art entry 1" + -ista -ist entry 1

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 4c

Time Traveler

The first known use of artist was in 1563

See more words from the same year