art
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1 creative expression (n.) A1 Beginnerthe making of beautiful things like paintings, sculptures, or music to express feelings.
the conscious production or arrangement of elements in a manner that affects the senses and emotions, typically through a visual or auditory medium.
ExampleThe museum is full of modern art that uses bright colours and strange shapes.
ExampleThe gallery's permanent collection explores the evolution of abstract art throughout the twentieth century, highlighting the shift from representation to pure form.
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2 a specific category (n.) A2 Elementarya particular type of creative activity, such as painting, dance, or theatre.
a specific field or category of creative activity, often used in the plural to describe the humanities.
ExampleShe enjoys all the arts, but her favourite is classical ballet.
ExampleThe university provides extensive funding for the performing arts, ensuring that students have access to professional-grade theatre and music facilities.
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3 a skill or craft (n.) B1 Intermediatea skill that you learn through a lot of practice and observation.
a skill or craft attained through study, practice, or observation; often implies a high level of mastery.
ExampleCooking a perfect steak is a real art that takes years to master.
ExampleNegotiation is a subtle art that requires the ability to read people's emotions while maintaining a firm stance on one's own objectives.
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4 intuitive subject (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea subject or activity that depends on feeling and intuition rather than science and facts.
a field of study or activity understood primarily through intuition and experience rather than rigid methodology.
ExampleTeaching is as much an art as it is a science.
ExampleWhile data analysis provides the foundation, successful marketing remains an art that relies on a deep understanding of human psychology.
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5 medical treatment (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Medicinea short way to say 'antiretroviral therapy', which is a treatment for HIV.
an acronym for antiretroviral therapy, used to manage HIV infection by suppressing the virus.
ExampleThe doctor explained how ART helps people with HIV live long and healthy lives.
ExampleConsistent adherence to ART is critical for maintaining an undetectable viral load and preventing the transmission of the virus to others.
UsageUsually written in all capitals as ART.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- Proto-Indo-European *h₂értis Proto-Italic *artis Latin ars Latin artemder. Old French artbor. Middle English art English art From Middle English art, from Old French art, from Latin artem, accusative of ars (“art”). Partly displaced native Old English cræft, whence Modern English craft.
From Middle English art, from Old English eart (“(thou) art”), second-person singular present indicative of wesan, from Proto-Germanic art (“(thou) art", originally, "(thou) becamest”), second-person singular preterite indicative form of iraną (“to rise, be quick, become active”), from Proto-Indo-European er-, or(w)- (“to lift, rise, set in motion”). Cognate with Faroese ert (“art”), Icelandic ert (“art”), Old English earon (“are”), from the same preterite-present Germanic verb. More at are.