artist

artist — noun

1. a person whose job or main activity is producing pictures, sculptures, or other

1.nounA2
Definition

a person whose job or main activity is producing pictures, sculptures, or other visual works — for example by painting, drawing, or carving stone.

Example

Mei works as a full-time artist and sells her oil paintings online.

artist + as job/profession

The young artist spent three months drawing the cathedral in pencil.

Common collocations
  • talented artist
  • abstract artist
  • portrait artist
  • self-taught artist
Synonyms
  • painter

    narrower — only someone who paints

  • sculptor

    narrower — works in stone, metal, or clay

  • illustrator

    draws pictures for books, magazines, or websites

Grammar Patterns

artist + of

Usage Note

Most often used for painters, sculptors, and printmakers. For people who work in clay, glass, or metal as a craft, English speakers may prefer 'craftsperson' or 'artisan'.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is an artist of music.
My uncle is a musician.
for music, use 'musician' or sense 2 'artist' without 'of music'.

2. a singer, musician, dancer, or actor, especially one who records music or perfor

2.nounB1
Definition

a singer, musician, dancer, or actor, especially one who records music or performs in front of an audience for a living.

Example

Taylor Swift is one of the best-selling recording artists of the last decade.

collocation: recording artist

The festival booked five solo artists and two bands for the Saturday stage.

collocation: solo artist

Common collocations
  • recording artist
  • solo artist
  • pop artist
  • hip-hop artist
Synonyms
  • performer

    broader — covers any stage performance

  • musician

    narrower — specifically someone who plays or makes music

  • singer

    narrower — only someone who sings

Grammar Patterns

recording artist

solo artist

Usage Note

Often pre-modified by 'recording', 'solo', 'pop', 'hip-hop', or a similar music label. Less common for actors than 'actor' itself; most natural for singers and musicians.

Common Mistakes

She is an artist of pop music.
She is a pop artist.
use the music style as a modifier, not 'of + style'.

3. someone unusually good at doing something that needs care, taste, or imagination

3.nounB2
Definition

someone unusually good at doing something that needs care, taste, or imagination — for example, cooking a perfect steak or telling a story that holds the whole room.

Example

Grandma Lin is a real artist with a kitchen knife — her dumplings are perfectly even.

collocation: an artist with + tool

The barber is an absolute artist; my hair has never looked this good.

Common collocations
  • a real artist
  • a true artist
  • an absolute artist
  • an artist with
Synonyms
  • master

    stronger; suggests long training and authority

  • expert

    neutral and factual; lacks the warmth of 'artist'

  • wizard

    informal; emphasises seemingly magical skill

Antonyms
  • amateur

    someone unskilled or doing it only for fun

Grammar Patterns

a real artist with N

an artist at + V-ing

Usage Note

Almost always with a positive modifier ('real', 'true', 'absolute') or in fixed shapes 'an artist with [tool]' / 'an artist at [V-ing]'. The 'at + V-ing' shape is often ironic, used for skill at things like making excuses or avoiding work.

Common Mistakes

He is an artist for cooking.
He is an artist at cooking.
the preposition is 'at', not 'for'.

Word family

  • art
    nounA1
  • artistic
    adjectiveB1
  • artistry
    nounC1
  • artistically
    adverbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe people who make things by hand, but the focus differs. 'Artist' is the broadest and most prestigious: it suggests personal vision and original work, often shown in galleries. 'Painter' narrows the medium to paint on canvas or walls; every painter is an artist, but not every artist paints. 'Illustrator' makes pictures that serve a text — children's books, news articles, packaging — so the work is judged by how well it fits the brief. 'Artisan' and 'craftsperson' shift the emphasis from imagination to skilled making of useful objects (pottery, furniture, jewellery); the result is valued for its quality, not its message. Compare: 'My sister is an artist — her paintings hang in three galleries' versus 'My sister is an artisan — she hand-makes leather bags she sells at the market.'

artist ↗painter ↗illustrator ↗artisancraftsperson

Common collocations

Nouns

  • artist's studio
  • artist's brush
  • artist's signature
  • artist of the year

Phrases

  • starving artist
  • struggling artist
  • make it as an artist

Prepositions

  • work as an artist
  • an artist from [place]
  • by the artist

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinOld FrenchMiddle FrenchEnglish

Borrowed into English in the late 1500s from French 'artiste', which came from Medieval Latin 'artista'. The Latin root 'ars' (genitive 'artis') meant skill, craft, or learned ability — covering everything from masonry to grammar. For its first two centuries in English, 'artist' could mean any skilled practitioner, including doctors and scholars. The narrower modern sense — someone who makes paintings, sculpture, or music — only settled in around the 1700s as the idea of 'fine arts' separated from 'useful arts'.