fan art

noun

variants or less commonly fanart
: artwork based on popular works of fiction (such as books, movies, etc.) that is created by fans
Fan art is unofficial drawings and other renderings of famous characters. "Push the boundaries," said Brian Kesinger, an artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios who sells his own prints on the side. "Fan art isn't about rules. It's about expressing yourself."Jonathan Horn
And the Slender Man story itself inspired everything from video games to fanart to a … horror film.Aja Romano

Examples of fan art in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Among the cards leaked was an immersive rare card – some of the rarest cards in the game – for a Ho-Oh ex that bears a striking resemblance to fan art produced in 2021 by Chinese artist Lanjiujiu. Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025 Whataburger is hosting a pop-up gallery featuring fan art and Monterrey Melt samples during South by Southwest. Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 The film, which premiered June 20, spawned countless pieces of fan art, memes, TikToks, and Instagram reels. EW.com, 1 July 2025 The players themselves showed off a lot of enthusiasm for those little details, to the extent of already having their own fan art being created by artists in their off time, showing off embroidery, dolls and stickers. Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 June 2025 Here's a look at some of the recent comments (or fan art) made about Sunny and Gizmo shared to social media. Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fan art was in 1969

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Cite this Entry

“Fan art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20art. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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