masterpiece

noun

mas·​ter·​piece ˈma-stər-ˌpēs 

1

: a work done with extraordinary skill

especially : a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement

2

: a piece of work presented to a medieval guild as evidence of qualification for the rank of master

Synonyms of masterpiece

• classic
• masterwork

Examples of masterpiece in a Sentence

The painting was immediately recognized as a masterpiece.

Herman Melville's masterpiece was Moby-Dick.

Her study of apes is a masterpiece.

Recent Examples on the Web

Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band masterpiece. —Jeff Metcalfe, AZCentral.com, 3 Dec. 2025

The masterpiece marches east, lamps lighting the way. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Dec. 2025

Whitehaven Beach spans seven kilometers of pure silica sand, while Hill Inlet's swirling sand forms a mesmerizing natural masterpiece. —Suzy Mercien-Ferol, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025

Lane will star alongside Laurie Metcalf in Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece, fulfilling the prophecy that was first revealed, then indefinitely postponed, in 2020. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for masterpiece

• altarpiece
• centerpiece
• frontispiece
• mantelpiece
• pilates
• summarise
• syntheses
• apiece
• aris
• assise
• caprice
• cerise

Kids Definition

masterpiece

noun

mas·​ter·​piece ˈmas-tər-ˌpēs 

: a work done with great skill

especially : a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement