masterpiece
Americannoun
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a person's greatest piece of work, as in an art.
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anything done with masterly skill.
a masterpiece of improvisation.
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a consummate example of skill or excellence of any kind.
The chef 's cake was a masterpiece.
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a piece made by a person aspiring to the rank of master in a guild or other craft organization as a proof of competence.
noun
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an outstanding work, achievement, or performance
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the most outstanding piece of work of a creative artist, craftsman, etc
Etymology
Origin of masterpiece
1570–80; master + piece, modeled on Dutch meesterstuk, German Meisterstück
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Perched on the edge of the rugged Yorkshire moors that inspired Emily Bronte to write her masterpiece "Wuthering Heights", the quaint village of Haworth has long been a place of literary pilgrimage.
From Barron's
The grand palace in the luxury Palmeraie neighbourhood of Marrakech has been described as an architectural masterpiece, built by 1,300 craftsmen and featuring ornate carvings and mosaics.
From BBC
“Tortured Poets” is one of my favorite albums of all time — it’s a masterpiece.
From Los Angeles Times
“Hedda Gabler” marks the end of Ibsen’s great stretch of realism and paves the way for his late symbolist period, which includes the masterpieces “The Master Builder” and “When We Dead Awaken.”
From Los Angeles Times
With spectacular fecundity, Bach churned out one masterpiece after another in meeting his liturgical deadlines, and they stand as one of the proudest explorations of the human imagination.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
