ART

Most generally, the ability, manner, or “knack” essential to the realization of some task or goal, especially when tricky or specialized; i.e., “the art of losing isn’t hard to master.” Also, a large class of objects and/or non-material phenomena privileged for their putative ability to occasion unpredictable but significant responses (particularly aesthetic, but sometimes sentimental or political) in individuals and groups. A term substantially defined by resistance to definition. Hence, difficult to define satisfactorily, if also satisfactory to define difficultly.