artisanal
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or noting a person skilled in a utilitarian art, trade, or craft, especially one requiring manual skill.
The men were taught artisanal occupations such as bricklaying and carpentry.
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pertaining to or noting a high-quality or distinctive product made in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods.
artisanal cheese;
an artisanal bakery.
Etymology
Origin of artisanal
Explanation
Something artisanal is made by hand and very special. The little wooden spoon your sister carved is artisanal, and so is the honey from your neighbors' beehive. This adjective describes things made by artisans, or skilled craftspeople. Artisanal bread might be hand-kneaded and baked in a wood-fired oven, while an artisanal ax is forged by hand in a small blacksmith's shop. Artisanal is from the Latin artitus, "skilled," and a root meaning "art." The word has become so popular that some factory-made snack foods claim to be artisanal; unless a product was crafted by hand in small batches, don't believe it!
Vocabulary lists containing artisanal
Voilà: Croissant Lingo
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Pizza, Pizza!
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The Ink Witch
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mugisha Godfrey, an artisanal miner from Busia in eastern Uganda, travelled to Cheporor after hearing about the discovery from a friend.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Rather than focusing on heritage or artisanal craftsmanship promoted in similar campaigns in Italy or France, Lithuania and its Baltic neighbours Estonia and Latvia are highlighting they are home to innovation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
Of all the things I expected to encounter between the heirloom tomatoes and artisanal honey, rendered animal fat marketed as skincare wasn’t one of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
WSJ: Can some of us opt out, in favor of a slower-paced, more artisanal life?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Slabs of real smoked salmon, hard-crusted artisanal breads, and a waffle station with every conceivable topping.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
