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Synonyms

masterpiece

American  
[mas-ter-pees, mah-ster-] / ˈmæs tərˌpis, ˈmɑ stər- /

noun

  1. a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.

  2. anything done with masterly skill.

    a masterpiece of improvisation.

  3. a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.

    The chef 's cake was a masterpiece.

  4. a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a guild or other craft organization as a proof of competence.

masterpiece British  
/ ˈmɑːstəˌpiːs, ˈmɑːstəˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. an outstanding work, achievement, or performance

  2. the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of masterpiece

1570–80; master + piece, modeled on Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even after donating $100 million from the sale of a Roy Lichtenstein masterpiece, the philanthropist Aggie Gund never felt she’d done enough.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

What is firmly at Tudor's door was that it was his bold decision to drop Vicario and play Kinsky and to say it back-fired is a masterpiece of under-statement.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

“Plus, Eva Mendes herself called it a masterpiece that brings back the magic of the big screen experience that you just can’t get the full impact of on your couch at home,” Alexa said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Perched on the edge of the rugged Yorkshire moors that inspired Emily Bronte to write her masterpiece "Wuthering Heights", the quaint village of Haworth has long been a place of literary pilgrimage.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

Knowing he was carrying his father's last masterpiece, the stonecutter's son could not help but begin to weep.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.