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still life
noun
plural still lifes
1
: a picture consisting predominantly of inanimate objects
2
: the category of graphic arts concerned with inanimate subject matter
Examples of still life in a Sentence
an exhibit of still lifes
She prefers portraiture to still life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Working with cinematographer Sophia Olsson, the director arranges his scenes like a painter does a still life.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2024
Second of all, try to get a book done without some discipline
— Kim Krans, creator of the Wild Unknown oracle deck series
These days, the cards of Animal Spirit can be spotted in still lifes and spiritual flexes all over social media.
—Simone Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
And, today, his studio bursts with in-progress still lifes, drawings of conceptual maps and a new portrait series inspired by colonial-era casta paintings.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024
His delicate still life images of flowers set the tone for this lineup.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 12 Feb. 2024
Others are wonderfully elaborate, such as still lives of fruit or, in New York, portraits of Lou Reed and Andy Warhol.
—John Leicester, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024
Previous shows featured portraits of women walking down bright aisles, metal and laser-cut crates, black cats made of plywood, and still lifes of Boar’s Head meats.
—Vulture, 20 Jan. 2024
For example, by 1666, two of her kitchen still lifes were documented in the Royal Collection in Madrid.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
Along blue walls meant to evoke Gaza’s sky and sea hang paintings that mostly evoke life before Israel’s intense bombardment and invasion: Palestinian still lifes, native cactuses, music, cats and cows, and even one Catwoman.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'still life.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1695, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to still life
Dictionary Entries Near still life
Cite this Entry
“Still life.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/still%20life. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
still life
noun
plural still lifes
: a picture of an arrangement of objects
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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