French word

art

Pronunciation

IPA/aʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounart

Example

L'art rend la vie plus belle.

Art makes life more beautiful.

Illustration for art (art)

More examples

Le musée présente une exposition d'art contemporain.

The museum presents an exhibition of contemporary art.

Core concept

A field where shaped forms carry feeling, ideas, or beauty from a maker to an audience.

Common phrases

  • musée d'art

    art museum

  • école d'art

    art school

Similar words

peinture: Visual works painted with color or pigment on paper, canvas, or another flat surface.
musique: Auditory expression that combines voices or instruments to convey feeling or mood.
cinéma: A work that combines moving images and sound to show a story or scene.
danse: A performance that uses bodily movement to express feeling or tell a story.

Definition in French

Ensemble d'œuvres et de pratiques visant à exprimer une sensibilité ou à produire une valeur esthétique.

Word origin

French art descends through Old French from Latin ars, artis, which meant skill or craft before French developed its stronger sense of artistic creation.

Usage tips

  • Art is masculine in French, as shown by un art, l'art, and cet art, while the plural is arts.

Other meanings

  • fine artnoun
  • skillnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word