Agency Dictionary
Artisan
nounPronunciation: /ˈɑːr.tɪ.zən/
In Portuguese: Artesão
Creativity & Learning
DesignWhat does “Artisan” mean?
A skilled craftsperson who manufactures tangible or digital goods with exceptional manual dexterity and care.
Etymology
From French artisan, borrowed from Italian artigiano, which is usually traced to a Vulgar Latin form *artitianus, from Latin artitus, "skilled", past participle of artire, "to instruct in the arts", from ars, artis ("art, skill"). The word came into English in the 16th century for a worker in a skilled trade, at a time when it was not yet sharply separated from artist.
Usage note
American English stresses the first syllable (AR-ti-zan); British English often stresses the last (ar-ti-ZAN).
Synonyms
- craftsperson
- craftsman
- artificer
- maker
- tradesperson
Often confused with
- artist
- The artisan makes useful or decorative objects by skilled handwork, often in series; the artist makes works valued chiefly as individual expression.
Word family
- artisanal
- artisanship
- art
- artist
Rhymes with
- partisan
Usage examples
And that is the fundamental thing every kind of artisan or designer needs in order to excel in their craft.
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Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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