Meaning & use
artistic
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Having a talent for creating or enjoying art, or showing the kind of imagination found in artists.
Grammar: Describes a person or their qualities: an artistic child, artistic talent.
Patterns
- artistic talent
- an artistic person
- artistic ability
She is an artistic child who draws on every page of her notebook.
His artistic talent showed up when he was only five.
The family was very artistic, and every room was full of paintings.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to art or to the making of it, whether or not a person is skilled.
Grammar: Usually describes a thing or activity: artistic expression, artistic freedom.
Patterns
- artistic freedom
- artistic director
- artistic merit
The festival gives young musicians a chance for artistic expression.
The film won praise for its artistic merit rather than its box office.
The theater hired a new artistic director.
adjectivecomparable
Arranged in a pleasing, tasteful or skilful way.
Grammar: Applies to arrangements or displays that look carefully designed.
Patterns
- an artistic arrangement
- artistic touch
The florist made an artistic arrangement of dried flowers.
The chef added an artistic swirl of sauce to the plate.
She has an artistic eye for decorating small rooms.
Word forms
| comparative | more artistic |
|---|---|
| superlative | most artistic |
Common combinations
- artistic talent
- Artistic talent runs in her family.
- artistic license
- The director took some artistic license with the true story.
- artistic director
- The artistic director chose the plays for the season.
- artistic expression
- Painting gave him a way of artistic expression.
- artistic temperament
- Her moody behavior was blamed on an artistic temperament.
- artistic merit
- Critics debated the artistic merit of the sculpture.
Synonyms and how they differ
- creative
- Creative is broader and covers any imaginative thinking, whereas artistic usually concerns visual or performing arts and taste.
- imaginative
- Imaginative describes a mind that invents ideas, but does not suggest skill in arts.
- gifted
- Gifted means having natural talent in any area, while artistic points to the field of art.
- tasteful
- Tasteful describes good judgment in style or choice, not a talent for making art.
Opposites
Word family
- art noun
- creative work such as painting, music or writing
- artist noun
- a person who creates art
- artistically adverb
- in a way connected to art or showing artistic skill
- artistry noun
- creative skill or ability
Commonly confused: artistic or artful?
artistic vs artful
Artful means clever, often in a sly or crafty way, rather than talented in art.
Practice
Which word best describes someone who loves painting and has a natural eye for color?
Choose one answer.
Artistic describes natural talent and sensitivity to art. Artful means sly, artificial means man-made or fake, and an artisan is a craftsperson, which is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “artistic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.