Synonym Chooser

How does the noun art contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of art are artifice, craft, cunning, and skill. While all these words mean "the faculty of executing well what one has devised," art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power.

the art of choosing the right word

Where would artifice be a reasonable alternative to art?

While the synonyms artifice and art are close in meaning, artifice suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in nature.

believed realism in film could be achieved only by artifice

When is it sensible to use craft instead of art?

In some situations, the words craft and art are roughly equivalent. However, craft may imply expertness in workmanship.

the craft of a master goldsmith

When could cunning be used to replace art?

The words cunning and art can be used in similar contexts, but cunning suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing.

a mystery plotted with great cunning

When might skill be a better fit than art?

The meanings of skill and art largely overlap; however, skill stresses technical knowledge and proficiency.

the skill of a glassblower

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of art There is art, beauty, love, happiness, construction, invention, wonder. Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025 While so many arts institutions have struggled to survive, her academy continues to thrive and pour into young dancers year after year. Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 18 Oct. 2025 After decades of minimalist, thin-rimmed glassware, the surrealist alternative makes sense within the pendulum swing toward maximalist design and the blurring of lines between art and the purely functional. Emily Johnson, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2025 Volunteers even accompanied her to meetings at her son’s school, where Ángel, who is on the autism spectrum, now receives music, art and equine therapy. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for art
Recent Examples of Synonyms for art
Noun
  • After their visits, stuff is always missing from my house — a hairbrush, my dog’s electric nail file, random dishes and plates, rat traps, laundry detergent packets, dollar store craft items, etc.
    Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
  • His films have a lot of craft in them.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Encourage your self-expression in verbal and written skills.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Teachers and parents are worried that regular chatbot use could weaken important skills such as communication, empathy and critical thinking.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Jerry Jones said the Micah Parsons trade was made with the purpose of capturing a sustainably winning team in Prescott’s prime.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
  • If the Astros pursue someone via trade, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes Mitch Keller would be a viable option.
    Drew VonScio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The 152-room resort supplies a plethora of activities between trips to the slopes, including morning food markets, hands-on programs for making local Aizu handicrafts, night sky viewing, sake tastings in the convivial sake bar, and a tiled onsen, spa, and pool.
    Adam H. Graham, AFAR Media, 14 Oct. 2025
  • This revisiting of the history of Ghanaian handicraft appears in works such as Beasts of No Nation, 2013–22, a wood panel (sharing a name with musician Fela Kuti’s 1989 album and Uzodinma Iweala’s 2005 novel) wrapped in wax-print cloth that echoes the vibrant textiles seen in Ghanaian markets.
    Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Art.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/art. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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