term of art

noun phrase

: a term that has a specialized meaning in a particular field or profession

Examples of term of art in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Offline is somewhat of a term of art in the Legislature where lawmakers have side conversations that aren’t public. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025 The plain and active meaning of the word cannot be diluted by its constriction, as the government would have it, to a narrow term of art. Time Staff, Time, 18 Apr. 2025 The settlement also revises the penalty structure for a school that exits the ACC’s grant of rights, a term of art that refers to a school permitting its intellectual property and media rights to be used by the conference and its business partners. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Mar. 2025 But this term, used in this context, is a legal term of art. Ron Kuby, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025 But the rules are murky and 'published' is a term of art in copyright law that was not well-defined. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025 Blanche created a term of art for Cohen, called the GLOAT, the greatest liar of all time, a play on the word GOAT, greatest of all time. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 29 May 2024 But today, the word, which is also a legal term of art, has a different context and usage in online spaces. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024 And because long-term Treasuries have a high duration — a term of art denoting the sensitivity of a bond’s price to changes in interest rates — the value of long-term bonds generally is likely to keep fluctuating as long as interest rates remain unstable. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of term of art was in 1570

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Cite this Entry

“Term of art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/term%20of%20art. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Legal Definition

term of art

: a word having a particular meaning in a field (as the law)

called also word of art

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