What does mural mean?
A mural is artwork painted, drawn, or otherwise created directly on a wall. The term is especially common for large, visually prominent works in public places, such as schools, museums, businesses, transit areas, and city streets, although it can also describe smaller decorations in private interiors. A mural may depict people, landscapes, abstract designs, historical events, or local stories, and its setting can make it part of the surrounding architecture. As an adjective, “mural” refers to something connected with a wall or mural painting. The word is related to the Latin “murus,” meaning “wall,” through French and Latin forms. Today it is valued as a concise and visually evocative word for wall-based art, distinguishing a whole work created on a wall from an ordinary framed or canvas painting.
A painting or other decorative artwork executed directly on a wall.
"The new mural covers the entire east wall of the school."
Often used for large-scale public art, but not restricted to public or outdoor walls.
Relating to a wall or to a mural painting.
"The building's mural artwork celebrates the history of the neighborhood."
Commonly used attributively, before nouns such as “artist,” “painting,” “artwork,” and “design.”
The standard plural of the noun is “murals.”
"Several murals brighten the pedestrian underpass."
A mural turns a blank wall into a public voice, letting a building speak through color, scale, and story.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mural come from?
“Mural” comes from the Latin adjective “mūrālis,” meaning “of or relating to a wall,” derived from “mūrus,” meaning “wall.” English borrowed the word in the late 16th century through French “mural,” with the sense of a wall painting developing later. The same Latin root underlies related words such as “muralist” and the uncommon “muriform,” meaning resembling a wall in form.
Related word forms
How mural is actually used
“Mural” is widely used for large-scale artworks in public places and is also common for wall paintings in homes, schools, and businesses. As an adjective, it usually appears before a noun, as in “mural artist” or “mural artwork.”
Easily confused with mural
A mural is artwork made on a wall, while a moral concerns right and wrong or an ethical lesson.