craft
Americannoun
-
an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially manual skill.
the craft of a mason.
-
skill; dexterity.
The silversmith worked with great craft.
-
skill or ability used for bad purposes; cunning; deceit; guile.
- Synonyms:
- deception, deceitfulness, shrewdness, craftiness
-
the members of a trade or profession collectively; a guild.
-
a ship or other vessel.
-
a number of ships or other vessels taken as a whole.
The craft were warned of possible heavy squalls.
-
aircraft collectively.
-
a single aircraft.
adjective
verb (used with object)
noun
-
skill or ability, esp in handiwork
-
skill in deception and trickery; guile; cunning
-
an occupation or trade requiring special skill, esp manual dexterity
-
-
the members of such a trade, regarded collectively
-
( as modifier )
a craft guild
-
-
a single vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft
-
(functioning as plural) ships, boats, aircraft, or spacecraft collectively
verb
Synonym Usage
See cunning.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have craftedperfect
-
has craftedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have been craftingperfect progressive
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has been craftingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are craftingprogressive
-
is craftingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am craftingprogressive 1st person singular
-
craftingparticiple
-
craftssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had craftedperfect
-
had been craftingperfect progressive
-
were craftingprogressive plural
-
was craftingprogressive singular
-
craftedsimple
-
craftedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of craft
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English cræft “strength, skill”; cognate with German Kraft, Dutch kracht, Old Norse kraptr
Explanation
If someone practices a craft, it means that she knows how to make something with her hands, like wooden furniture or hand-knit socks. There are many different meanings of the word craft, but most of them involve skill, whether it's the craft of cheese making or crafting tiny dollhouse furniture or being crafty — good at fooling people. Another meaning of the noun craft is "vehicle," especially a boat or an airplane. The Old English root word, cræft, originally meant "power or physical strength."
Vocabulary lists containing craft
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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.
Now, he added, he and others must fish on smaller craft only capable of shorter, less profitable journeys.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
Washington can craft the financing mechanism—a tax on beneficiaries that ensures ratepayers aren’t left holding the bag.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
But for as transparent as Spielberg’s filmmaking has become over the years, one has to think that a master of his craft is highly aware of what he’s doing.
From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026
Musk has cultivated a massive fan base among retail and institutional investors alike with his ability to craft visions of a sci-fi future.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
Also available are episode-specific craft packages, a line of print fabrics designed by Paisley, and a weekly class focusing on a craft from the show.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
