art
art
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "art" is /ɑːrt/.
/ɑːrt/
Word Form Variations
The word "art" can have several word form variations depending on its part of speech.
Noun:
Singular: art
Plural: arts (referring to different forms of art, or specific works of art)
Verb: (as in "to art something," though this is far less common in modern English and often considered archaic or informal, meaning to arrange skillfully or to practice art)
Present Tense (third person singular): arts
Present Participle: arting
Past Tense/Past Participle: arted
Archaic/Poetic second-person singular present form of "be":
art (e.g., "Thou art")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting, sculpture, or drawing, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
Synonyms: creativity, artistic expression, fine art, craft, mastery, skill
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, but concepts like) crudeness, amateurism, inelegance
Definition 2: Various branches of creative activity, such as music, literature, and dance, distinguished by a particular skill or style.
Synonyms: discipline, field, genre, medium, pursuit
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as this refers to categories)
Definition 3: A skill at doing a specified thing, especially one acquired through practice and study.
Synonyms: technique, ability, knack, aptitude, talent, proficiency, expertise
Antonyms: inability, incompetence, awkwardness, clumsiness
Verb (less common in modern use, often archaic or informal)
Definition 1: To skillfully arrange, fashion, or execute something with artistic intent.
Synonyms: craft, design, create, render, fashion
Antonyms: mar, botch, bungle, mishandle
Archaic/Poetic Second-Person Singular Present Form of "Be"
Definition 1: An archaic or poetic form of the verb "to be," used with the pronoun "thou" (you singular).
Synonyms: are (in modern English)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it's a grammatical form)
Examples of Use
Books:
"Life imitates art far more than art imitates life." (Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying, 1889)
"The art of conversation is to say just enough." (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813)
"Every great work of art is either the beginning or the end of something." (Walter Sickert, A Free House!, 1947)
Newspapers:
"The new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases a diverse collection of contemporary paintings." (The New York Times, June 2025)
"Local schools are facing budget cuts that threaten funding for music and art programs." (The Washington Post, May 2025)
"The columnist argued that political satire is a dying art in the age of outrage." (The Guardian, April 2025)
Online Publications:
"Is AI-generated art truly art, or simply a sophisticated form of automation?" (Wired.com, March 2025)
"Tips for mastering the art of remote work communication." (Forbes.com, February 2025)
"The online gallery features digital art from emerging artists around the globe." (Artnet.com, January 2025)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "The cinematography in this film is pure art." (Film review on Rotten Tomatoes, referring to a recent independent film, May 2025)
Television: "We're going to explore the culinary art of making homemade pasta on today's show." (MasterChef, 2024 episode)
Music: "The album is a true work of art, blending diverse genres seamlessly." (Music critic's review on Pitchfork, April 2025)
Video Games: "The game's open world design is a masterpiece of pixel art and environmental storytelling." (Game review on IGN.com, June 2025)
Social Media: (Caption on an Instagram post featuring a sculpture) "Absolutely captivated by this piece of art today." (Instagram, June 2025)
General Public Discourse:
"Learning to negotiate effectively is a true art." (Comment made during a business seminar, May 2025)
"My kid brought home some amazing art from school today, really proud of their creativity." (Parent discussing with a friend, June 2025)
"That street performer's juggling act was pure art – so mesmerizing." (Conversation overheard in a park, April 2025)
"She really has the art of making people feel comfortable." (Friend describing someone's social skills, March 2025)
"Remember thou art mortal." (Common philosophical phrase, often attributed to ancient stoics or memento mori themes)
10 Famous Quotes Using Art
"Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life." (Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying, 1889)
"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." (Pablo Picasso)
"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." (Aristotle)
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." (Thomas Merton)
"I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream." (Vincent van Gogh, though often paraphrased, the sentiment is consistent with his letters)
"Good art is not what it looks like, but what it makes us feel." (Roy Adzak)
"The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity." (Alberto Giacometti)
"To create one's own world takes courage." (Georgia O'Keeffe)
"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." (Henry Ward Beecher)
"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." (William James)
Etymology
The word "art" comes from a very old root! It's believed to trace back to an even older Indo-European root, *ar-, which had to do with "fitting together" or "joining."
From there, it moved into Latin as ars (plural artes), and in ancient Rome, it broadly meant "skill," "craft," or "technique." So, for example, someone who was very good at building, weaving, or even speaking well, had "ars" in that particular area. It wasn't just about beautiful pictures or sculptures; it applied to any kind of mastered skill. This is why you still see words like "artisan" (a skilled worker) or "artificial" (made by human skill) related to "art."
The first known use of "art" in English, around the early 13th century, reflected this broader Latin meaning: "skill as a result of learning or practice." Think of it as "the art of medicine" or "the art of war" – meaning the specialized knowledge and skills involved in those fields. This is also where terms like "liberal arts" (referring to subjects like grammar, rhetoric, and logic) come from.
It was only much later, starting in the 17th century, that "art" began to narrow its meaning to what we mostly think of today: activities and products related to creative expression, especially for beauty or emotional impact, like painting, sculpture, or music. Before that, the line between "art" (skill) and "craft" or even "science" was much blurrier.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Art
A work of art: A masterpiece; something skillfully made or aesthetically pleasing.
The art of the deal: The skill involved in making advantageous agreements.
The art of conversation: The skill of engaging in pleasant and effective discussion.
The art of war: The strategic principles involved in military conflict (from Sun Tzu's famous book).
Art for art's sake: The belief that art's sole purpose is its own aesthetic value, independent of moral or didactic concerns.
To have something down to a fine art: To be highly skilled or proficient at something.
Art deco: A distinctive style of art and architecture popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
Folk art: Art produced by indigenous or self-taught artists, often reflecting cultural traditions.
Performance art: A form of art where the artist's own actions are the primary medium.
Conceptual art: Art in which the idea or concept behind the work is more important than the finished art object.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of art from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
