fine art

noun

1

a

: art (such as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned primarily with the creation of beautiful objects

—usually plural

b

: objects of fine art

2

: an activity requiring a fine skill

Examples of fine art in a Sentence

a collector of fine art

She studies painting in the department of fine arts.

We saw the sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts.

the fine art of gourmet cooking

Recent Examples on the Web

No point of distinction between fine art and visual culture is identified in Enninful’s show, so fashion, commercial and personal photography, and fine art share space. — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

Jones, whose work culminated in the ’70s, was known for fusing commercial fetishism with fine art and was often criticized for his figurative objectification of women. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

On the south side of the property, Cret included a veterans’ building, a fine arts museum, a library, and a theater for both musical and dramatic performances. — Elijah Winkler, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026

The city also has a thriving museum scene covering everything from fine art to space exploration. — Jill Robbins, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for fine art

• counterpart
• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart

Kids Definition

fine art

noun

: art (as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned mainly with the creation of beautiful objects

—usually used in plural