craft

1 of 2

noun

plural crafts
1
: skill in planning, making, or executing : dexterity
"We have not the strength with which to fight this man; we must … win, if win we can, by craft."Jack London
2
a
: an occupation, trade, or activity requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill
the carpenter's craft
the craft of writing plays
crafts such as pottery, carpentry, and sewing
He learned the craft as an apprentice.
b
crafts plural : articles made by craftspeople
a store selling crafts
a crafts fair
3
: skill in deceiving to gain an end
used craft and guile to close the deal
4
: the members of a trade or trade association
5
plural usually craft
a
: a boat especially of small size
b

craft

2 of 2

verb

crafted; crafting; crafts

transitive verb

: to make or produce with care, skill, or ingenuity
She is crafting a new sculpture.
a carefully crafted story
crafter noun
Choose the Right Synonym for craft

art, skill, cunning, artifice, craft mean the faculty of executing well what one has devised.

art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power.

the art of choosing the right word

skill stresses technical knowledge and proficiency.

the skill of a glassblower

cunning suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing.

a mystery plotted with great cunning

artifice suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in nature.

believed realism in film could be achieved only by artifice

craft may imply expertness in workmanship.

the craft of a master goldsmith

Examples of craft in a Sentence

Noun never hesitated to resort to craft to get what they wanted in life borrowed a craft to get across the river Verb The furniture is crafted from bamboo. He is crafting a new sculpture. She crafted a strategy to boost the company's earnings.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Instead, Shakira flexes the progression of her longstanding craft. Thania Garcia, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 The fuselage includes a set of intakes that convert the incoming air flow to sub-atomic speeds, allowing the craft to run on the 12,300 pounds of thrust provided by three GE J85 engines. J. George Gorant, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2024 These free demonstrations allow park visitors to meet members of the area’s 11 Indigenous groups and watch how traditional and modern crafts are made. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024 The interior of the plane was in a two-plus-two layout, meaning that each craft could carry 32 passengers at a time. Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Laurel enjoys all aspects of musical theater, and is serious about her craft. Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 17 Mar. 2024 However, to fully understand who the Detroiter is as a professional requires learning about how Warren has approached her craft over the long haul. Scott Talley, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 And remember: If your favorite doesn’t win, your love for that movie, that performance, that piece of craft work, is no less valid. Tom Page, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Crayola Inspiration Art Case $41 $27 $30 Take arts and crafts time to a new level with this Crayola art kit containing everything needed to create masterpieces. Erica Puisis, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024
Verb
But now authorities are crafting a broader program aimed at the historic flows of migrants headed to the U.S. border. Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 By developing their own plan in public and involving major players with stakes in the issue like insurance companies and congressional chairmen, the Obama administration hoped to build support rather than simply springing a plan crafted in secrecy on Congress as the Clintons had done in the 1990s. Peter Baker, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 The latest proposal goes further than a previous EU plan — crafted in late 2023 and agreed in principle last month — to use the interest payments and other profits accumulating in accounts in Brussels to help rebuild Ukraine, according to a senior EU official. Hanna Ziady, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Since then, there’s been a push within academia and international institutions including the United Nations and European Union to craft stronger guidelines for solar geoengineering. Justine Calma, The Verge, 21 Mar. 2024 The curriculum is crafted to cover a variety of topics essential for entrepreneurial success. Tira Urquhart, Essence, 21 Mar. 2024 The musical — based on Stevens’ 2005 concept album Illinois — will run for 16 weeks under director and choreographer Justin Peck, who crafted its story with Jackie Sibblies Drury. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2024 Fisher-Price Busy Buddies Gift Set This cute set features three different animals, all crafted for younger babies to engage with. Maya Polton, Parents, 8 Mar. 2024 Now get out there and start crafting some stellar, SEO-friendly guest content! Jon Stojan, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'craft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, strength, skill, from Old English cræft; akin to Old High German kraft strength

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of craft was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near craft

Cite this Entry

“Craft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/craft. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

craft

1 of 2 noun
1
: skill in planning, making, or doing
2
a
: an occupation requiring skill in using the hands : trade
b
plural : articles made by craftspeople
a store selling crafts
3
: skill in deceiving to gain an end
4
: the members of a trade
5
plural usually craft
a
: a boat especially of small size
b

craft

2 of 2 verb
: to make by or as if by hand
crafted a sculpture
a carefully crafted story
crafter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on craft

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