decorative art

noun

1
: art that is concerned primarily with the creation of useful items (such as furniture, ceramics, or textiles)
usually used in plural
2
: objects of decorative art

Examples of decorative art in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, who co-founded the store that became Tiffany & Company, Louis Comfort Tiffany was an artist and designer who believed in translating the beauty of nature into the decorative arts. Mercedes Hutton, New York Times, 3 May 2025 There is a long tradition of artists working in the decorative arts, points out their gallerist Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn, of Salon 94 Design, who recently sold work of theirs to the Brooklyn Museum. Thessaly La Force, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025 The Art Deco exhibition at Palazzo Reale in Milan is showcasing a vast array of objects and images that illustrate the prowess of Italian and European decorative arts of that era. Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 24 Apr. 2025 And on the seventh floor, French curator Gilbert Kann, who put together the decorative arts furniture selection for Le Bon Marché nearby, has furnished a room and suite that can be joined into an apartment in which every antique, custom, and one-of-a-kind piece is available to ship home. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decorative art

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decorative art was in 1853

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Cite this Entry

“Decorative art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorative%20art. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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