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

• artisanship noun
• artisanal adjective

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

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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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Related Words

• builder 
• carpenter 
• craftsman 
• professional