painting

noun

paint·​ing ˈpān-tiŋ How to pronounce painting (audio)
1
: a product of painting
especially : a work produced through the art of painting
2
: the art or occupation of painting

Examples of painting in a Sentence

They hung the painting in the living room. The woman in that painting is my grandmother. I like painting more than sculpture. He is studying abstract painting. She wants to devote all her time to painting. The room is ready for painting. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Everything in Bonnard’s mature paintings threatens to dissolve into sheets of ravishing, unstable color and a dizzying array of marks. Karen Wilkin, WSJ, 25 Nov. 2023 The paintings pick up the color schemes of the prints: A blue elephant is paired with a seascape, and a gray-and-yellow cat perches atop a refinery suffused with yellow and orange fire. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 That’s because the armchairs are heirlooms, the paintings are by friends, and everything has a backstory. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 Nov. 2023 On show are archaeological finds from Málaga’s Phoenician, Roman, and Moorish periods and paintings produced between the 16th and 20th centuries, particularly in the 19th. Lisa Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2023 There are a few other popular works on Snyder’s designs for The Met, including Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (1887) on a crewneck sweater; his Irises (1890) on a hoodie; and an earthy brown shirt that features a trio of Degas’s paintings from between 1866 and 1898. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2023 That piece, equal parts painting and sculpture, consists of a patched shipping tarp overlaid with steel railroad tracks, with a dot of neon light near the top representing the North Star. Alex Williams, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023 The painting is part of a diptych, which included eight scenes depicting the crucifixion and passion of Christ. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Nov. 2023 One section focuses on annotations and inscriptions artists wrote on the backs of pieces, while another shows painting stretchers, including the original cross beams of Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, according to the Observer. Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'painting.' 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

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of painting was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near painting

Cite this Entry

“Painting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painting. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

painting

noun
paint·​ing
1
: a painted work of art
2
: the art or occupation of painting

More from Merriam-Webster on painting

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