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
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
One of his favorite stories is about Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, Antonio Canova’s 1793 neoclassical masterpiece that sits in the Louvre.
—
Elaine Sciolino, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2023
Here's hoping this very personal masterpiece is allowed to remain in the public realm.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Entertainment Score: 3 Science Score: 0 12 Monkeys (1995)
Enlarge / Cinematic time travel came of age with Terry Gilliam's sci-fi masterpiece.
—Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023
Bullard’s third book is a whirlwind tour through their glamorous abodes as well as his own dazzling retreats — a sprawling Hollywood Hills home that once belonged to Dennis Hopper, a mid–century masterpiece in Palm Springs and a modernist aerie on the Baja peninsula overlooking the Sea of Cortez.
—Abigail Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
With its bold use of modern pop music to bring vibrancy to a story set in 18th century France, the film has been reclaimed in subsequent years and is now seen by many as Coppola’s masterpiece for its examination of the expectations put upon young women, even royal ones.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The whole world of Elizabethan espionage is brought to blazing life in this true-crime masterpiece.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Herbie Hancock 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Herbie Hancock’s influential masterpiece Headhunters, which intricately wove jazz and funk and redefined the genre while becoming the first jazz album to go platinum.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2023
The musical by Grammy Award-winning composer Gabriela Lena Frank and Cuban Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz is a dreamy magic-realist masterpiece sung in Spanish with subtitles in both English and Spanish.
—Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
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Elaine Sciolino, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2023
Here's hoping this very personal masterpiece is allowed to remain in the public realm.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Entertainment Score: 3 Science Score: 0 12 Monkeys (1995)
Enlarge / Cinematic time travel came of age with Terry Gilliam's sci-fi masterpiece.
—Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023
Bullard’s third book is a whirlwind tour through their glamorous abodes as well as his own dazzling retreats — a sprawling Hollywood Hills home that once belonged to Dennis Hopper, a mid–century masterpiece in Palm Springs and a modernist aerie on the Baja peninsula overlooking the Sea of Cortez.
—Abigail Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023
With its bold use of modern pop music to bring vibrancy to a story set in 18th century France, the film has been reclaimed in subsequent years and is now seen by many as Coppola’s masterpiece for its examination of the expectations put upon young women, even royal ones.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The whole world of Elizabethan espionage is brought to blazing life in this true-crime masterpiece.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Herbie Hancock 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Herbie Hancock’s influential masterpiece Headhunters, which intricately wove jazz and funk and redefined the genre while becoming the first jazz album to go platinum.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2023
The musical by Grammy Award-winning composer Gabriela Lena Frank and Cuban Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz is a dreamy magic-realist masterpiece sung in Spanish with subtitles in both English and Spanish.
—Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'masterpiece.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to masterpiece
Dictionary Entries Near masterpiece
Cite this Entry
“Masterpiece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masterpiece. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
masterpiece
noun
mas·ter·piece
ˈmas-tər-ˌpēs
: a work done with great skill
especially
: a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement
More from Merriam-Webster on masterpiece
Nglish: Translation of masterpiece for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of masterpiece for Arabic Speakers
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