work of art
Americannoun
-
a piece of creative work in the arts, especially a painting or sculpture.
-
a product that gives aesthetic pleasure and that can be judged separately from any utilitarian considerations.
noun
-
a piece of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture
-
something that may be likened to a piece of fine art, esp in beauty, intricacy, etc
Etymology
Origin of work of art
First recorded in 1825–35
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.
The last of these was his first “negative sculpture,” in which the work of art is itself an absence; his newest creations under this concept are currently on view at Gagosian.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
A teenager has sold her Nissan Micra car for £400 to the organisers of an exhibition who are using it to replicate an original Banksy work of art.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
“Twin Peaks: The Return” is, of course, a work of art.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
What makes “Picnic” an enduring work of art is its tonal complexity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
It began sometime between 1401 and 1413 when Filippo Brunelleschi produced a most peculiar work of art.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
![]()
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.