minecraft

American  

[mahyn-kraft, ‐-krahft] / ˈmaɪnˌkræft, ‐ˌkrɑft /

noun

1. a type of warship for sweeping mines at sea.

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Trademark.

1. Minecraft. a brand name for a sandbox video game with construction, crafting, exploration, and combat mechanics, available on many game platforms.

Etymology

Origin of minecraft

1925–30; minecraft for def. 1, mine ² (in the sense “an underwater explosive”) + craft ( def. ); minecraft for def. 2, mine ² ( def. )  (in the sense “to dig, extract ore”) + craft ( def. ); coined in 2009 by Markus Persson , Swedish video game programmer and designer of the game.

Example Sentences

"Minecraft really was huge, you know?" he said.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

These days, you can buy a custom capybara for Minecraft.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Sometimes this happens because the studios are trying to capitalize on a moment, like when “The Minecraft Movie” coasted in on the fumes of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

From Salon • May 25, 2026

It has now moved ahead of the U.S. in the number of billionaires per capita, thanks to a thriving tech startup scene and videogame industry that has produced hits like Minecraft and Candy Crush.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

“I don’t remember. Um…something with a W, maybe. Wyatt? Winston? I know he likes Minecraft and…hedgehogs?”

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller