What does "altarpiece" mean?

a work of art suspended above and behind an altar in a church

What is a synonym for "altarpiece"?

Common synonyms include: abstract, abstraction, altar, altar carpet, altar desk, altar facing.

Pronounced //ˈɑl.təɹˌpis//.

//ˈɑl.təɹˌpis// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
a work of art suspended above and behind an altar in a church
"I walked across the concrete to examine the altarpiece of the atomic age. A large crack ran through it."
2
a painted or carved screen placed above and behind an altar or communion table wordnet

"I walked across the concrete to examine the altarpiece of the atomic age. A large crack ran through it."

From altar + piece.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.