artist

UK: /ˈɑː^rtɪst/ US: /ˈɑrtɪst/ ,(är′tist)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

art•ist /ˈɑrtɪst/   n. [countable]

1. Fine Art a person who practices or is proficient in one of the arts.
2. Music and Dance, Fine Art, Show Business a person proficient in a performing art, as an actor or musician.
3. a person who shows special skill:
   That baseball pitcher is a real artist with a curveball.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

art•ist  (är′tist), n. 

1. Fine Art a person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.
2. Fine Art a person who practices one of the fine arts, esp. a painter or sculptor.
3. Fine Art a person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc.:
   a commercial artist.
4. Fine Art, Fine Art, Show Business a person who works in one of the performing arts, as an actor, musician, or singer;
   a public performer:
   a mime artist; an artist of the dance.
5. a person whose work exhibits exceptional skill.
6. a person who is expert at trickery or deceit:
   He's an artist with cards.
7. [Obs.] an artisan.

• Medieval Latin artista master of arts. See art¹, -ist
• Middle French artiste
• 1575–85

Synonyms

• 1. Artist, artisan are persons having superior skill or ability, or who are capable of producing superior work. An artist is a person engaged in some type of fine art. An artisan is engaged in a craft or applied art.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

artist / ˈɑːtɪst/ noun

1. a person who practises or is skilled in an art, esp painting, drawing, or sculpture
2. a person who displays in his or her work qualities required in art, such as sensibility and imagination
3. a person whose profession requires artistic expertise, esp a designer: a commercial artist
4. a person skilled in some task or occupation
5. a person devoted to or proficient in something: a con artist