fine art

noun

1

a

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

—usually used in 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

Departing from tradition, there was no nominee from the fine arts — no dancers, composers, classical musicians or opera stars. —Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

The Grand Hand Gallery, which has showcased fine art and craft on the corner of Grand Avenue and Dale Street for some two decades, is moving next month to the spot formerly home to another longtime creative stop, Treadle Yard Goods. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 29 Dec. 2025

Gerstner slashed costs and sold off unproductive assets, including real estate and IBM’s collection of fine art. —Patrick Oster, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025

Today, Swiss mechanical watches are like fine art pieces, appreciating assets that collectors can—and do—resell at auction. —Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025

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