craft

American  

[kraft, krahft] / kræft, krɑft /

noun

crafts, plural craft plural

1. an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially manual skill.

   the craft of a mason.

2. skill; dexterity.

   The silversmith worked with great craft.

   Synonyms:

   ability, talent

3. skill or ability used for bad purposes; cunning; deceit; guile.

   Synonyms:

   deception, deceitfulness, shrewdness, craftiness

4. the members of a trade or profession collectively; a guild.

5. a ship or other vessel.

6. a number of ships or other vessels taken as a whole.

   The craft were warned of possible heavy squalls.

7. aircraft collectively.

8. a single aircraft.

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adjective

1. noting or relating to a food or other product made with special skill, especially manual skill.

   craft beer; craft coffee; a line of craft furniture.

verb (used with object)

crafts, present (3rd person singular) crafted, past participle, past crafting present participle

1. to make or manufacture (an object or product) with skill and careful attention to detail.

craft British  

/ krɑːft /

noun

1. skill or ability, esp in handiwork

2. skill in deception and trickery; guile; cunning

3. an occupation or trade requiring special skill, esp manual dexterity

4. 1. the members of such a trade, regarded collectively

   2. ( as modifier )

      a craft guild

5. a single vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft

6. (functioning as plural) ships, boats, aircraft, or spacecraft collectively

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verb

1. (tr) to make or fashion with skill, esp by hand

Synonym Usage

See cunning.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• craftless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• craft
  plural
• crafts
  plural

Participles

• crafting
  present
• crafted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• craft
  simple
• crafts
  simple
• have crafted
  perfect
• has crafted
  perfect
• am crafting
  progressive
• are crafting
  progressive
• is crafting
  progressive
• have been crafting
  perfect progressive
• has been crafting
  perfect progressive

Past

• crafted
  simple
• had crafted
  perfect
• was crafting
  progressive
• were crafting
  progressive
• had been crafting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will craft
  simple
• will have crafted
  perfect
• will be crafting
  progressive
• will have been crafting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of craft

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cræft “strength, skill”; cognate with German Kraft, Dutch kracht, Old Norse kraptr

Explanation

If someone practices a craft, it means that she knows how to make something with her hands, like wooden furniture or hand-knit socks. There are many different meanings of the word craft, but most of them involve skill, whether it's the craft of cheese making or crafting tiny dollhouse furniture or being crafty — good at fooling people. Another meaning of the noun craft is "vehicle," especially a boat or an airplane. The Old English root word, cræft, originally meant "power or physical strength."

Example Sentences

Craft said: "It was a really warm event you saw the best of what our community looked like."

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

Craft bourbon brands built buzz in speakeasies like Louisville’s Hell or High Water, and whiskey influencers started popping up online.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

It is recalling Discovery Craft Box items sold between August 2025 and April 2026, and Touchy Feely Craft Box items - listed as Sensory Craft Box - sold between March 2025 and April 2026.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Ken Craft, chief executive of Hope the Mission, said some people with severe mental health problems need more help than staff can provide, and leave.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

She told them the story of William and Ellen Craft and how they escaped from Georgia.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry

Related Words

• aircraft
• airplane
• barge
• boat
• plane
• ship
• spacecraft
• vessel