handmade
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of handmade
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many, though, will crave authentic human writing in the same way they cherish handmade goods more than their mass-produced counterparts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Starting with his 2019 breakthrough “Bait,” he fashions handmade movies that eschew modern filmmaking techniques.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
One crochet bag design may not be handmade, appearing for sale on Shein, a popular site for dropshippers, who are online retailers operating storefronts without keeping physical inventory.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Potsticker MN — For handmade dumplings in St. Paul, head to aptly named Potsticker MN.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Gone were the elegant handmade suits and carefully knotted ties.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
