# artist

/ˈɑɹtəst/ (US) · /ˈɑːtɪst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/artist
Updated: 2026-05-01

## Senses

### 1. creator of visual art

noun · CEFR A1

someone who creates art like paintings, drawings, or sculptures.

For teachers: a person who produces works in the visual arts, such as painting, sculpture, or photography.

- The artist spent all afternoon in her studio working on a new oil painting.
- The gallery is hosting a retrospective of the artist's early charcoal sketches, which show a clear departure from his later abstract style.

### 2. musician or performer

noun · CEFR B1

a person who performs or records music or other entertainment.

For teachers: a professional performer, especially a singer or musician who records and releases music.

- She is a talented recording artist who has released three albums this year.
- The contract ensures that the recording artist retains the intellectual property rights to all acoustic versions of the tracks.

### 3. skilled person

noun · CEFR B2

someone who is very good at a specific activity or job.

For teachers: a person who performs a specific task with such skill that it is considered an art form; frequently used in compound nouns.

- The pastry chef is a true artist when it comes to decorating wedding cakes.
- He was known as a con artist who could convince even the most skeptical investors to part with their savings.

### 4. creative professional

noun · CEFR B1

a person who works in any creative field, including writing or acting.

For teachers: a person who practices any of the creative arts, including literature and theatre, beyond the strictly visual.

- Many young artists move to the city to find work in the creative industries.
- The festival brings together artists from diverse backgrounds to collaborate on multimedia projects that challenge traditional genre boundaries.

## Examples

- The artist uses bright colors in her paintings.
- A local artist is painting a large mural on the side of the library this week.
- While many consider him a mere illustrator, he views himself as a conceptual artist whose work challenges traditional boundaries between commercial design and fine art.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.