artistic

artistic — adjective

1. describing something that is connected with art, with people who make art, or wi

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing something that is connected with art, with people who make art, or with the world of paintings, music, theatre, and similar creative work.

Example

Wairimu joined a youth orchestra to develop her artistic skills.

artistic + noun (skills, talent, ability)

The museum supports the artistic community in Taipei with grants and free studio space.

artistic community / movement / scene

Common collocations
  • artistic director
  • artistic freedom
  • artistic talent
  • artistic community
  • artistic career
Synonyms
  • creative

    wider — covers any inventive activity, not only the arts

  • cultural

    broader still — includes traditions, language, beliefs, not just art

Grammar Patterns

artistic + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun in this sense (artistic director, artistic skill, artistic freedom). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense labels the topic or field; sense 2 labels the person.

Common Mistakes

The painting is very artistic about colour.
The painting uses colour in a very artistic way.
in sense 1, 'artistic' goes before a noun, not after 'be' with a topic.

2. having a natural gift for creating or enjoying art — for instance, someone who d

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a natural gift for creating or enjoying art — for instance, someone who draws, paints, dances, or plays a musical instrument with ease.

Example

Uri is the most artistic child in his class — he wins every drawing contest.

be + artistic (predicative use about a person)

Aunt Rosa has always been artistic; she paints landscapes every weekend.

Common collocations
  • very artistic
  • quite artistic
  • highly artistic
  • artistic child
  • artistic by nature
Synonyms
  • creative

    broader — good at inventing new ideas in any area

  • talented

    needs a phrase like 'talented at drawing' to be specific to art

Antonyms
  • unartistic

    rare; learners more often say 'not artistic'

Grammar Patterns

be artistic

very/quite artistic

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person (or a person's hand, eye, side). Often appears with 'very', 'quite', or in the negative ('not very artistic'). Distinguish from sense 1: here the word describes WHO can make art, not WHAT the field is.

Common Mistakes

My brother does artistic.
My brother is very artistic.
'artistic' is an adjective, used after 'be', not as the object of 'do'.

3. describing an object, design, or piece of work whose maker has used craft and cr

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing an object, design, or piece of work whose maker has used craft and creative ideas so the result looks beautiful or pleasing — for example, a flower arrangement, a cake, or a photograph.

Example

The chef arranged the salad in a very artistic way on the white plate.

in an artistic way / manner

Farouk took an artistic photo of the empty playground at sunset.

an artistic + concrete object (photo, design, cake)

Common collocations
  • look artistic
  • in an artistic way
  • an artistic design
  • an artistic touch
  • highly artistic
Synonyms
  • tasteful

    stresses good judgement in style; less about visible skill

  • elegant

    stresses simple beauty; an elegant design need not show creative skill

  • stylish

    stresses fashion sense more than craft

Antonyms
  • crude

    rough, made without care or skill

  • plain

    simple and ordinary, with no decorative skill

Grammar Patterns

a/an artistic + noun

look/be + artistic

Usage Note

Subject or modified noun is a concrete object or visible result (photo, plate, knot, layout), not a person. Distinguish from sense 2: a person who made the cake is 'artistic' (sense 2); the cake itself is 'artistic' (sense 3).

Common Mistakes

Her cooking tastes artistic.
Her cooking looks artistic.
sense 3 is about how something LOOKS, not how it tastes or sounds.
Idioms

artistic/poetic licence

idiom

The ability of artists or writers to change facts to make their work more interesting or beautiful.

The film uses artistic licence to make the story more exciting.

Maya took poetic licence when she wrote about her childhood.

Word family

  • art
    nounA1
  • artist
    nounA2
  • artistry
    nounC1
  • artistically
    adverbB2
  • artless
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All four words praise someone who is good at making things, but they differ in scope and focus. 'Artistic' is the narrowest: it points specifically at the visual and performing arts — drawing, painting, dance, music — and suggests a feel for beauty as well as skill. 'Creative' is much wider; a creative engineer or a creative cook is good at coming up with new ideas, not necessarily at art. 'Talented' is empty until you fill it in: 'talented at football', 'talented as a writer'. 'Imaginative' stresses fresh ideas and originality rather than trained skill. Compare: 'Wairimu is artistic — she paints beautifully' versus 'Wairimu is creative — she keeps inventing new board games' versus 'Wairimu is talented' (talented at what?).

artistic ↗creative ↗talented ↗imaginative ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in an artistic way
  • of artistic merit
  • an artistic touch
  • artistic license

Etymology

LatinMedieval LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Borrowed into English in the late 1500s from French 'artistique', which was built from Italian 'artistico'. The Italian and French forms in turn go back to medieval Latin 'artisticus', from Latin 'ars, artis' meaning 'skill, craft, art'. The word at first meant 'belonging to an artisan or craftsman' and only narrowed to today's sense — connected with the fine arts or with people who make them — during the 1700s and 1800s, as 'art' itself came to mean painting, sculpture, music, and the like rather than any practical skill.