workmanlike

or work·man·ly

[ wurk-muh n-lahyk ]

/ ˈwɜrk mənˌlaɪk /

adjective

like or befitting a workman.

skillful; well executed: a workmanlike piece of writing.

Nearby words

Origin of workmanlike

First recorded in 1400–50, workmanlike is from the late Middle English word werkmanlike. See workman, -like

Related formsun·work·man·like, adjectiveun·work·man·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for workmanlike

Remember the first Walkman, introduced in 1979, with its tubby buttons and workmanlike profile.
Space Shuttle Enterprise: Flashback to an Icon of ‘70s Design|Blake Gopnik|July 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Romney, by contrast, gave a smooth but workmanlike speech that barely contained a personal touch.
Romney Edges Santorum in Ohio Cliffhanger on Super Tuesday|Howard Kurtz|March 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
To disguise it by sewing through the cord is not a workmanlike practice.
Art in Needlework|Lewis F. Day
Still we raced on, neck and neck, she riding with hands low and weight slightly forward, workmanlike as a jockey.
The Way of a Man|Emerson Hough

She appeared, a plump middle-aged lady, attired appropriately in a costume of workmanlike simplicity.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, June 6, 1917|Various
If this charge had none of the display of other days it had all the more thrill because of its workmanlike and regulated progress.
My Second Year of the War|Frederick Palmer
The others, not being persons of quality, were hanged in an expeditious and workmanlike manner.
The Cornish Coast (South)|Charles G. Harper

British Dictionary definitions for workmanlike

workmanlike

less commonly workmanly (ˈwɜːkmənlɪ)

/ (ˈwɜːkmənˌlaɪk) /

adjective

appropriate to or befitting a good workman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for workmanlike

workmanlike

adj.

"efficient, no-nonsense," 1739, from workman (see work (v.)) + -like.