handmade

American  

[hand-meyd] / ˈhændˈmeɪd /

adjective

1. made by hand, rather than by machine.

   the luxury of handmade shoes.

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handmade British  

/ ˌhændˈmeɪd /

adjective

1. made by hand, not by machine, esp with care or craftsmanship

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Etymology

Origin of handmade

First recorded in 1605–15; hand + made

Explanation

Something that's handmade wasn't made by a machine, but formed, built, or constructed by an actual person. A handmade sweater from your grandma is one she knit herself. Handmade items can look awkward and inexpertly constructed, but just as often they're more beautiful and special than their machine-made counterparts. Handmade pottery is unique, each bowl or mug looking slightly different since they're made and glazed individually, by hand. A handmade birthday card from a young relative is charming in a way its Hallmark equivalent could never be. Handmade comes from the sense of "made by hand."

Example Sentences

BTS attracted the venue's largest-ever concert crowd, with 65,000 fans crammed into the stadium, waving light sticks and hand-made signs for their heroes.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

"I was very nervous," the soft-spoken 27-year-old told AFP on Tuesday just hours after his elaborate hand-made dresses were finally released, meaning he could begin fitting the models.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Craft artist Moira Burns hand-made more than 500 harvest knots.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

Armed with hand-made masks and a campy, DIY aesthetic, My Barbarian’s performances engage audiences through musically driven theatrical works that offer sharp political and artistic critiques.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2023

Choicely Printed on hand-made paper, limp parchment antique or cloth, 6s.; vellum, 7s. 6d. each volume.

From A List of Kegan Paul, Trench and Co.'s Publications (1887) by Anonymous

Related Words

• homemade