artist

noun

art·​ist ˈär-tist How to pronounce artist (audio)
plural artists
1
a
: 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
b
: a person skilled in any of the arts
I can't draw at all, but both of my children are very talented artists.
2
: a skilled performer
a trapeze artist
especially : a musical or theatrical entertainer : artiste
a jazz artist
3
: a person who is very good at something
a scam artist
a strikeout artist
4
a
obsolete : one skilled or versed in learned arts
b
archaic : physician
c
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 The Sharjah Art Foundation has announced the artists participating in the 16th Sharjah Biennial, set to run from February 6, through June 15, 2025. Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2024 Taylor Swift—the artist who brought the legion of motivated fans to the cause—was totally, completely, uninvolved. Sam Reed, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2024 Abdo was celebrated as Billboard Arabia’s first cover in December 2023, with an interview about the artist’s 60-year legacy and deep impact on Arabic music. Omar Baqbouq, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2024 The new issue marks another epic year for Swift that included becoming the only artist to ever win album of the year four times at the Grammys, and coincides with the conclusion of the Eras Tour in December. Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for artist 

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

Dictionary Entries Near artist

Cite this Entry

“Artist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artist. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

artist

noun
art·​ist ˈärt-əst How to pronounce artist (audio)
1
: a person skilled in one of the arts (as painting, sculpture, music, or writing)
2
: a person showing unusual ability in an occupation requiring skill

More from Merriam-Webster on artist

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