craft
Americannoun
-
an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially manual skill.
the craft of a mason.
-
skill; dexterity.
The silversmith worked with great craft.
-
skill or ability used for bad purposes; cunning; deceit; guile.
- Synonyms:
- deception, deceitfulness, shrewdness, craftiness
-
the members of a trade or profession collectively; a guild.
-
a ship or other vessel.
-
a number of ships or other vessels taken as a whole.
The craft were warned of possible heavy squalls.
-
aircraft collectively.
-
a single aircraft.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
-
skill or ability, esp in handiwork
-
skill in deception and trickery; guile; cunning
-
an occupation or trade requiring special skill, esp manual dexterity
-
-
the members of such a trade, regarded collectively
-
( as modifier )
a craft guild
-
-
a single vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft
-
(functioning as plural) ships, boats, aircraft, or spacecraft collectively
verb
Synonym Usage
See cunning.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
craftsimple
-
craftssimple
-
have craftedperfect
-
has craftedperfect
-
am craftingprogressive
-
are craftingprogressive
-
is craftingprogressive
-
have been craftingperfect progressive
-
has been craftingperfect progressive
Past
-
craftedsimple
-
had craftedperfect
-
was craftingprogressive
-
were craftingprogressive
-
had been craftingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing craft
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myPerspectives 9.5
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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:
Muchova, known for her creativity and variety, has the game to excel on a surface that rewards her craft.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
“We’re talking about making films the traditional way using the talent that learns their craft either by doing shorts on YouTube, or doing things in a non-traditional manner.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Meanwhile, the Austrian plant that’s home to Sony’s disc-making operations has already said it will be retraining its employees to craft microlenses for car lights, instead of for gaming hardware.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Shideler admitted at trial that he had helped craft the indictment before eventually also appearing as an expert witness.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
She had regained her strength, but the craft was still too heavy for her to lift.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
There will be an opening ceremony, a massive viewing area, entertainment, soccer exhibitions, an arts and crafts fair, interactive booths and food and beverage vendors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
The festival is a not-for-profit event, hosting entertainment, crafts, food and cookery demos, with any money made being donated to charities, with children's cancer charity Abby's Heroes the main beneficiary.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
"Reminder: HOV occupants need to be actual people, not your arts and crafts project," California Highway Patrol in Haywood posted on their Facebook page on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
The Kerns are doubling down on the company’s handmade products—and the crafts workers behind them—at an especially challenging moment for luxury retailers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Though, I’d seen enough paper-plate crafts and lumpy decoupage to know exactly what she meant about the difference between a hobby and a skill.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Radio 2 said it sends "our love and best wishes to Paul", and added it would continue to support him on his "beautifully crafted weekly music show".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
The AI could unintentionally disclose that information to other users or be accessed in response to a specifically crafted prompt, Shmatikov warned.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Therefore, when she turned her hand to Austen, the world and the challenges she crafted for Mary felt authentic.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
He crafted a detailed, 25-page score based on Roach’s album but invited the musicians to reshape it in real time, resulting in a collective work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
I turned back now to watch her walking behind me, red printed fabric over her nose and mouth, a rifle slung on her slender back with a sling crafted from repurposed seatbelts.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Good candidates, regardless of experience level, will stand out by crafting a good cover letter and coming to interviews with ideas.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Netflix on Monday announced more content for kids is coming to the streamer, with a new baking and crafting competition series inspired by popular animated show “Gabby’s Dollhouse.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Coke has been involved in crafting McDonald’s new dirty soda beverages, using Sprite and syrups to help concoct the brightly colored drinks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Riley crafting a cogent message about workers’ rights and the price of labor would be a feat in and of itself, especially in a film this fun.
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026
I pause for a moment, carefully crafting the words in my head.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
