artisan

American  

[ahr-tuh-zuhn] / ˈɑr tə zən /

noun

1. a person skilled in a utilitarian art, trade, or craft, especially one requiring manual skill; a craftsperson.

2. a person or company that makes a high-quality or distinctive product in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods.

   our favorite local food artisans.

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adjective

1. pertaining to an artisan or the product of an artisan; artisanal.

   artisan beer.

artisan British  

/ ɑːˈtɪzənəl, ˈɑːtɪˌzæn, ˈɑːtɪzənəl, ˌɑːtɪˈzæn /

noun

1. a skilled workman; craftsman

2. obsolete  an artist

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Related Words

See artist.

Other Word Forms

• artisanal adjective
• artisanship noun

Etymology

Origin of artisan

First recorded in 1530–40; from French, from Italian artigiano, equivalent to Latin artīt(us) “trained in arts and crafts” (past participle of artīre ) + Italian -iano (from Latin -iānus ); art ¹, -ite ², -ian

Compare meaning

How does artisan compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• artisan vs. artesian

Example Sentences

As the U.S. economy shifted from colonial mercantilism to building its own markets, the want ads were dominated by land, shipping and artisan trades.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Fox has carefully rooted through economic history as well as roamed through the countryside in search of traditional artisans, such as bell founders and coopers, to interview.

From The Wall Street Journal

Twelve artisans at Heath Ceramics, which still operates in the Bay Area, created 3,000 new tiles by hand.

From Los Angeles Times

They visit artisans at work making tie-dye cloth in nearby Arimatsu, a village that has been perfecting the art of dyeing fabrics in intricate patterns for 400 years.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Britain, displaced textile artisans engaged in industrial terrorism by destroying machinery such as looms in the Luddite Uprisings.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• builder
• carpenter
• craftsman
• professional