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

Recent Examples on the Web

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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 Bridges grew up in Philadelphia and attended Brown University, Parsons School of Design and studied decorative arts at Polimoda in Florence, Italy. —

Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 1 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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Browse Nearby Words

decorative

decorative art

decorator

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“Decorative art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorative%20art. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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