decorative art

noun

: art that is concerned primarily with the creation of useful items (such as furniture, ceramics, or textiles)

—usually used in plural

: objects of decorative art

Examples of decorative art in a Sentence

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The gift expands the museum’s holdings across six curatorial departments, including modern and contemporary art, African American art, American art, European sculpture and decorative arts, Native American art, and prints, drawings, and photographs. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 July 2026 Look Beyond Switzerland—and Beyond the Movement Modern enthusiasts often obsess over calibers, but Newman argues that collectors should approach 18th-century watches as works of decorative art as much as feats of engineering. — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 3 July 2026 The mansion, now closed for restoration, was built around Moïse de Camondo’s collection of 18th-century decorative arts, the same century that fascinated Christian Dior. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 The latter is key to a Choisne design that recently joined the permanent collection at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum—the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts, and design. — Laurie Brookins, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for decorative art

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of decorative art was in 1853

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decorative

decorative art

decorator

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Style

“Decorative art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorative%20art. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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decorative art

noun

Examples of decorative art in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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