Meaning & use
Artful
Last updated
Skillful and clever, often in a crafty or cunning way; showing ingenuity or careful design.
See it in a sentence
The negotiator made an artful compromise that satisfied both sides.
Charles Dickens gave one memorable pickpocket character the nickname 'the Artful Dodger.'
A note on using this word
"Artful" can carry either a positive sense of skillful craftsmanship or a more negative sense of sly manipulation, depending on context.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
artlessclumsy
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