artisan
Americannoun
-
a person skilled in a utilitarian art, trade, or craft, especially one requiring manual skill; a craftsperson.
-
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
noun
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a skilled workman; craftsman
-
obsolete an artist
Synonym Usage
See artist.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of artisan
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 ); see art 1, -ite 2, -ian
Compare meaning
How does artisan compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
An artisan has both the creativity and the skill to make a product. Wandering around a local craft fair, you will often see artisans selling handicrafts like pot holders or beaded jewelry. In medieval times, blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons were artisan trades. Unskilled laborers were not. The hierarchy of skill and prestige among artisans, from apprentice to journeyman to master, is sometimes reflected in ranks among today’s trade union members. But today an artisan can just be someone who makes attractive and creative work with their hands, like jewelry or pottery. Although, if they're trying to sell their goods, it probably helps if they're very skilled.
Vocabulary lists containing artisan
Mesopotamia - Introductory
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Ancient Egypt and Kush, Lessons 1–3
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
The Revere portrait celebrates the dignity of work, showing that an artisan can look as calm and thoughtful as a philosopher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Three Iranian men pressed rehydrated raisins at an artisan distillery just outside New York, thousands of miles from their war-struck homeland.
From Barron's ● May 2, 2026
He talks about a trip he took one summer to the French Alps doing research with artisan cheese makers.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Her future as an artisan was a foregone conclusion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025
He was only an honest and kindly artisan, just now saddened by treachery.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Many scholars believe it was made by artisans in or around Canterbury in southern England.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
The route also brought artisans, laborers and slaves to the Spanish colony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
As a result, authentic sea silk has become extraordinarily rare and is produced only in tiny amounts by a small number of artisans.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026
Prada also announced a three-year training programme for artisans from eight Indian districts associated with making Kolhapuri sandals.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
Mr. Lapham had told him to stand about and watch the different artisans at their trades until he was sure it was work he could do.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
