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Glite Dictionary
🗿 A group of statues 🗿 Like a statue
statuary

statuary

1 7.9
Relating to or suitable for statues
  • adjective
  • /ˈstæʧuˌɛri/
translation icon : estatuario
  • The artist created a stunning statuary display for the gallery's new exhibition.

Examples

  • In the garden, the statuary enhances the beauty of the landscape.

  • Well, I'm trying to explore how to, you know, do some pop sort of fiberglass statuary and volume.

  • The change in purpose brought a change in the room's name; because Congress intended to house a national collection of statuary there, it was renamed National Statuary Hall.

    Blog text (6)

  • National Statuary Hall (Architect of the Capitol)

    Blog text (6)

  • It was the tiny statuary diorama.

  • As Amy Davidson notes in an excellent New Yorker piece on the aforementioned statuary controversy,

    Blog text (25)

  • The museum's statuary collection features works from various renowned sculptors.

Synonyms

sculptural
vsstatuary
9 6.1

Showing strong shapes like a statue

is narrower referring especially to carved figures rather than all sculpture
figural
vsstatuary
  • Specialized
1 8.2

Showing people or animals in art

focuses on relation or suitability for carved figures not just depiction
statuelike
vsstatuary
6.1

Showing great stillness and dignity, as if not moving

is about being related to or suitable for carved figures

Surface Forms

statuary positive

Morphology

statuary = statue (transparent) = statue + ary

The adjective meaning 'relating to statues' is a straightforward combination of 'statue' + the adjectival suffix '-ary', which B1 learners can readily interpret.

Etymology

The word statuary comes from the Latin statua 'a thing that stands', from stare 'to stand', and it shares the same root as the common word statue. So statuary as an adjective describes something 'of or about statues', for example a style, material, or place that fits statues.