What does "sculpture" mean?
A three-dimensional work of art created by shaping malleable objects and letting them harden or by chipping away pieces from a rock (sculpting).
Sculpture
/ˈskʌlpt͡ʃɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A three-dimensional work of art created by shaping malleable objects and letting them harden or by chipping away pieces from a rock (sculpting).
- Grammar: sculpture is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: carving, abstract art, art, art form.
- Useful contrasts: canvases, erasing, gallery painting.
- Usage evidence: David has a keen interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind.
How to use "sculpture"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sculpture" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sculpture" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sculpture" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sculpture" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sculpture" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "carving" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sculpture", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A three-dimensional work of art created by shaping malleable objects and letting them harden or by chipping away pieces from a rock (sculpting). countable, usually
"There, too, in living sculpture, might be seen / The mad affection of the Cretan queen."
- 2 creating figures or designs in three dimensions wordnet
- 3 More generally (since modernism), a three-dimensional work of art of any material or of mixed materials, whether sculpted, assembled, found, constructed or created using multiple techniques. countable, usually
- 4 a three-dimensional work of plastic art wordnet
- 5 Works of art created by sculpting, as a group. uncountable, usually
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 The three-dimensional ornamentation on the outer surface of a shell. uncountable, usually
- 7 A printed picture, such as an engraving. archaic, uncountable, usually
"Whereas upon the humble Requeſt of Our Truſty and Wel-beloved Servant, JOHN OGILBY, Eſquire, We were Graciouſly pleaſed by Our Warrant of the 25. of May, in the ſeventeenth Year of Our Reign, to grant him the ſole Privilege and Immunity of Printing in fair Volumes, Adorned with Sculptures, Virgil Tranſlated, Homer's Iliads, Æſop Paraphraſed, and Our Entertainment in Paſſing through Our City of London, and Coronation, together with Homer's Odyſſes, and his fore-mentioned Æſop with his Additions and Annotations in Folio, with a Prohibition, that none ſhould Print or Re-print the ſame in any Volumes, without the Conſent and Approbation of him, the ſaid John Ogilby, his Heirs, Executors, or Aſſigns, within the term of Fifteen Years next enſuing the Date of Our ſaid Warrant;[…]"
Verb
- 1 To fashion something into a three-dimensional figure.
- 2 shape (a material like stone or wood) by whittling away at it wordnet
- 3 To represent something in sculpture.
- 4 create by shaping stone or wood or any other hard material wordnet
- 5 To change the shape of a land feature by erosion etc.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"David has a keen interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sculpture"?
Common synonyms include: carving, abstract art, art, art form, artist, arts and crafts.
How do you use "sculpture" in a sentence?
David has a keen interest in aesthetics — the qualities that make a painting, sculpture, musical composition, or poem pleasing to the eye, ear, or mind.
How do you pronounce "sculpture"?
Pronounced /ˈskʌlpt͡ʃɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle English sculpture, from Old French sculpture, from Latin sculptūra (“sculpture”), from sculpō (“to cut out, to carve in stone”).