masterpiecemas‧ter‧piece /ˈmɑːstəpiːs $ ˈmæstər-/ ●●○ noun [countable] 
Examples
Mary Shelley was just 18 when she wrote the horror masterpiece ‘Frankenstein’.2a very good example of somethingmasterpiece of The shark is a masterpiece of evolution.
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Adam Smith's masterpiece 'The Wealth of Nations' was written in the 18th century.
- Channel 6 is showing Orson Welles's masterpiece "Citizen Kane."
- Many people regard this painting as Raphael's masterpiece.
- one of the great Italian masterpieces
- The Davis-Evans recording of 'Porgy and Bess' has been rightly called a jazz masterpiece.
- Thirteen people helped Michelangelo create his masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
- As a result, it's a masterpiece.
- In its own way, it too is a masterpiece of coherent legislation.
- Jones' performance was a masterpiece.
- Since then Stravinsky's work has been hailed as a masterpiece.
Longman Language Activatorsomething that an artist has produced► work
Collocations a picture, sculpture, piece of music etc: · The collection contains works by Kahlo and Picasso.· Her later works reflected her growing depression.· Some of the director's best works were created during his neo-realist period.
► work of art something produced by an artist, especially something that most people agree is of very high quality: · From a single lump of clay, Torrence had produced a work of art.· The sketches were never meant to be works of art but are beautiful nonetheless.· The best works of art deal with man's struggle with the human condition.
► masterpiece a picture, sculpture, film etc that is of extremely high quality, especially one that is believed to be the best work of a particular artist: · Adam Smith's masterpiece 'The Wealth of Nations' was written in the 18th century.· Thirteen people helped Michelangelo create his masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.· The Davis-Evans recording of 'Porgy and Bess' has been rightly called a jazz masterpiece.
good literature/music/art► good · Good music seems to be a thing of the past.· Students need to read a lot of good fiction in order to form their own opinions about quality.· Her early work is much better than her more recent stuff.· Which do you think is their best album?
► great extremely good and skilful, and therefore admired and remembered by many people for a long time: · Many of our great works of art are being sold and exported.· There's some debate as to what constitutes great poetry.· The Renaissance period produced some of the greatest architecture of all time.
► classic: classic film/book/album etc a film, book etc that is one of the best of its kind: · 2001 is a classic science fiction movie.· The Rolling Stones produced a string of classic singles in the mid 60s including 'Satisfaction' and 'Brown Sugar'.
► work of art something produced by an artist, especially something that most people agree is of very high quality: · Several priceless works of art were badly damaged when the palace was bombed.
► masterpiece a picture, sculpture etc that is of extremely high quality, especially one that is believed to be the best work of a particular artist: · one of the great Italian masterpieces· Many people regard this painting as Raphael's masterpiece.
WORD SETS► ARTSaesthete, nounagitprop, nounart gallery, nounartist, nounartwork, nounavant-garde, adjectivebaroque, adjectivecapture, verbceramics, nouncharacter, nounclassical, adjectiveclassicism, nouncompere, nouncontemporary, adjectiveconvention, nouncreative, adjectivecritical, adjectivecrossover, nouncubism, nouncultural, adjectiveculturally, adverbculture, nouncurator, nouncycle, noundrama, nouneisteddfod, nounepic, nouneponymous, adjectiveerotic, adjectiveerotica, nouneroticism, nounexhibit, verbexhibit, nounexhibition, nounexpress, verbexpression, nounexpressionism, nounextract, nounfictionalize, verbfigurine, nounfin de siècle, adjectiveflashback, nounformalism, nounfuturism, nounglaze, verbglaze, nounGothic, adjectivehandcrafted, adjectivehandicraft, nounhandmade, adjectivehigh priest, nounhistorical, adjectiveinterpretation, nounItalianate, adjectivelowbrow, adjectivemagnum opus, nounmarquetry, nounmasterpiece, nounmasterwork, nounmature, adjectivemedium, nounMFA, nounmiddlebrow, adjectiveminimalism, nounmotif, nounmuse, nounnarrator, nounnaturalism, nounneoclassical, adjectivenotice, nounoeuvre, nounoffering, nounopening, adjectiveopus, nounpan, verbparody, nounpastiche, nounpattern, nounpiece, nounpop art, nounportfolio, nounpostmodernism, nounprequel, nounpreview, nounproduce, verbproduction, nounrealism, nounrealistic, adjectiverehash, verbreview, nounreview, verbromantic, nounromanticism, nounroyalty, nounrubbish, nounsalon, nounscenario, nounscene, nounsensuous, adjectivesentimental, adjectivesequel, nounsequence, nounset piece, nounsetting, nounShakespearean, adjectiveshowing, nounskit, nounstory, nounstudio, nounstylistic, adjectivesurrealism, nounswansong, nounsynopsis, nountitle, nountrilogy, nountwo-dimensional, adjectiveuncut, adjectiveunexpurgated, adjectivevillain, nounwork, nounwork of art, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► great
1a work of art, a piece of writing or music etc that is of very high quality or that is the best that a particular artist, writer etc has produced SYN masterwork: · Many people regard this work as a great masterpiece, though, and may well want to hear this impressive new version.
VERB► create· Off you go to create your own masterpiece!· Devey has created a masterpiece of the Victorian Picturesque.
► produce· Although he made some magnificent paintings and drawings of it he preferred a milder climate to produce his masterpieces.· After an arduous five-year apprenticeship in the disciplines of war the twenty-one-year-old Duke had produced his masterpiece.· I fancy my acquaintance with the Bard's works and my gift for scribbling would inspire me to produce a dramatic masterpiece.· Troup produced his masterpiece in Dunedin in 1907.· He should turn it to a profounder end, producing masterpieces in another man's name.· In 1716-17 Baskett produced his masterpiece, a two-volume folio Bible characterised by splendid large type and fine steel engravings.· So what, if you have produced a masterpiece and lost a piece of entertainment?
Mary Shelley was just 18 when she wrote the horror masterpiece ‘Frankenstein’.2a very good example of somethingmasterpiece of The shark is a masterpiece of evolution.