craft

1 of 2

noun

plural crafts
1
: skill in planning, making, or executing : dexterity
"We have not the strength with which to fight this man; we must … win, if win we can, by craft."Jack London
2
a
: an occupation, trade, or activity requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill
the carpenter's craft
the craft of writing plays
crafts such as pottery, carpentry, and sewing
He learned the craft as an apprentice.
b
crafts plural : articles made by craftspeople
a store selling crafts
a crafts fair
3
: skill in deceiving to gain an end
used craft and guile to close the deal
4
: the members of a trade or trade association
5
plural usually craft
a
: a boat especially of small size
b

craft

2 of 2

verb

crafted; crafting; crafts

transitive verb

: to make or produce with care, skill, or ingenuity
She is crafting a new sculpture.
a carefully crafted story
crafter noun
Choose the Right Synonym for craft

art, skill, cunning, artifice, craft mean the faculty of executing well what one has devised.

art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power.

the art of choosing the right word

skill stresses technical knowledge and proficiency.

the skill of a glassblower

cunning suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing.

a mystery plotted with great cunning

artifice suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in nature.

believed realism in film could be achieved only by artifice

craft may imply expertness in workmanship.

the craft of a master goldsmith

Examples of craft in a Sentence

Noun never hesitated to resort to craft to get what they wanted in life borrowed a craft to get across the river Verb The furniture is crafted from bamboo. He is crafting a new sculpture. She crafted a strategy to boost the company's earnings.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
There will be pumpkins grown by Escondido High School students for sale along with tractor rides, carnival games, petting zoo, face painting, crafts, food, plants, live music, entertainment and a classic car show hosted by the Escondido High School Auto Shop Department. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025 On Friday, the pair told a select group of journalists at the Gobelins school in Paris that the project will give the next generation of animation artists the opportunity to learn, collaborate, innovate and push the boundaries of stop-motion craft. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
In traditional animation, a director crafts a story at storyboard phase trying to craft their story then hands it over to animation artists. John Hopewell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025 Other body parts were also scattered around the house — Gein had even made furniture out of human skin and crafted household items out of bones. Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for craft

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, strength, skill, from Old English cræft; akin to Old High German kraft strength

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of craft was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Craft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/craft. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

craft

1 of 2 noun
1
: skill in planning, making, or doing
2
a
: an occupation requiring skill in using the hands : trade
b
plural : articles made by craftspeople
a store selling crafts
3
: skill in deceiving to gain an end
4
: the members of a trade
5
plural usually craft
a
: a boat especially of small size
b

craft

2 of 2 verb
: to make by or as if by hand
crafted a sculpture
a carefully crafted story
crafter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on craft

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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