artisan

[ahr-tuh-zuhn]

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.

adjective

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

   artisan beer.

artisan

/ ɑːˈtɪzənəl, ˈɑːtɪˌzæn, ˈɑːtɪzənəl, ˌɑːtɪˈzæn /

noun

1. a skilled workman; craftsman

2. obsolete,  an artist

Other Word Forms

• artisanal adjective
• artisanship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of artisan¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of artisan¹

C16: from French, from Old Italian artigiano, from arte _art ¹

Synonym Study

See artist.

Example Sentences

Li is part of a growing wave reshaping China’s consumption landscape: middle-income shoppers outside Beijing and Shanghai who are gravitating toward what marketers call “little luxury”—artisan cosmetics, premium apparel, and imported skin care.

Read more on Barron's

The other factor—the prescriptive part—was the large number of skilled artisans and engineers in Britain.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“From artisans and technicians, to engineers, welders, logistics professionals, data analysts, health and safety officers, project managers, and many others—entire new career pathways will be born from this opportunity.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Attendees of all ages can expect to hear music, see art and have culinary experiences provided by Indigenous artisans.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Many artisans face exploitation, and there are concerns that traditional craftsmanship is being sacrificed for speed and commercial gain.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• builder 
• carpenter 
• craftsman 
• professional