minecraft

American  

[mahyn-kraft, ‐-krahft] / ˈmaɪnˌkræft, ‐ˌkrɑft /

noun

1. a type of warship for sweeping mines at sea.

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Trademark.

1. Minecraft. a brand name for a sandbox video game with construction, crafting, exploration, and combat mechanics, available on many game platforms.

Etymology

Origin of minecraft

1925–30; minecraft for def. 1, mine ² (in the sense “an underwater explosive”) + craft ( def. ); minecraft for def. 2, mine ² ( def. )  (in the sense “to dig, extract ore”) + craft ( def. ); coined in 2009 by Markus Persson , Swedish video game programmer and designer of the game.

Example Sentences

Almost a year ago to the day, Jack Black hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the first time in 20 years, fresh off the success of “A Minecraft Movie.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Last year “A Minecraft Movie,” Warner Bros.’ adaptation of the Microsoft-owned series, grossed $960.4 million globally.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Stuck indoors during the pandemic, Brundage turned to spending long hours on Minecraft, a build-your-own-world videogame that, for many, is a gateway into programming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Warner Bros. had a banner year in 2025, taking in more than $4 billion at the box office globally with a string of smash hits including “A Minecraft Movie,” “Sinners,” “F1” and “Superman.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

She also liked skiing, had never played Minecraft until this afternoon, and always fell asleep at the opera.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty