still life
noun
plural still lifes
1
: a picture consisting predominantly of inanimate objects
2
: the category of graphic arts concerned with inanimate subject matter
Examples of still life in a Sentence
an exhibit of still lifes
She prefers portraiture to still life.
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1912, Georges Braque (1882–1963) had glued strips of fake-wood wallpaper onto a pencil-and-gouache still life titled Fruit Dish and Glass, done in the Analytic Cubist style he’d developed with his colleague/competitor/collaborator Pablo Picasso (1881–1973).
—
Howard Halle, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
That still life, painted in 1921, was purchased for the raffle from billionaire art collector David Nahmad, who argued in a rare Associated Press interview that Picasso would have approved of raffling his work.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Loose, gestural ink drawings sit alongside still lifes of treasured objects, flea market finds are arranged like miniature stage sets, and candid snapshots of her Milan existence are collaged with painterly abandon.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2026
On a less serious but still life-altering scale, osteoporosis, if left untreated, can limit your ability to walk, live independently, and complete daily activities, DeSapri says.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for still life
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Howard Halle, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
That still life, painted in 1921, was purchased for the raffle from billionaire art collector David Nahmad, who argued in a rare Associated Press interview that Picasso would have approved of raffling his work.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
Loose, gestural ink drawings sit alongside still lifes of treasured objects, flea market finds are arranged like miniature stage sets, and candid snapshots of her Milan existence are collaged with painterly abandon.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2026
On a less serious but still life-altering scale, osteoporosis, if left untreated, can limit your ability to walk, live independently, and complete daily activities, DeSapri says.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for still life
Cite this Entry
“Still life.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/still%20life. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
