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

• 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

Noni Madueke’s goal (above) was a masterpiece, a snapshot vindication of Arsenal’s decision to buy him from Chelsea. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025

This is the twisted game at the heart of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2017 masterpiece, Phantom Thread. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025

Young Hamnet’s shuffling off this mortal coil once laid the groundwork for a masterpiece. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025

As most movie lovers know, checking in at the Bates proved unfortunate for Marion Crane, the character played by Janet Leigh in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece Psycho. —Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 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