Meaning & use
handcrafted or hand-crafted
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Made by a person using skill with their hands, not produced in a factory by machines.
Grammar: It usually comes before a noun: a handcrafted table. It is not normally used after a verb like be.
Patterns
- handcrafted goods
- a handcrafted gift
- handcrafted furniture
The shop sells handcrafted jewelry made by local artists.
We bought a handcrafted wooden bowl at the market.
Her handcrafted cards are more expensive than the printed ones.
adjectivebefore a noun
Made carefully in small amounts, often to suggest high quality or traditional methods.
Grammar: This sense is often used in marketing to suggest quality: handcrafted beer, handcrafted soap.
Patterns
- handcrafted beer
- handcrafted soap
- handcrafted in Italy
This handcrafted beer is brewed in small batches.
The label says the cheese is handcrafted in a family dairy.
Common combinations
- handcrafted furniture
- They filled the room with handcrafted furniture.
- handcrafted jewelry
- She designs handcrafted jewelry and sells it online.
- handcrafted goods
- The fair features handcrafted goods from around the region.
- handcrafted with care
- Each piece is handcrafted with care.
Synonyms and how they differ
- handmade
- Handmade is the more common everyday word and can describe anything made by hand, while handcrafted often suggests special skill or a traditional craft.
- artisanal
- Artisanal is more formal and often used for food and drink made in traditional ways; handcrafted is broader.
Opposites
Word family
- handcraft noun
- A craft or skill done with the hands.
- handcraft verb
- To make something by hand.
- craft noun
- An activity or skill of making things by hand.
Commonly confused: handcrafted or hand-crafted or handicraft?
handcrafted or hand-crafted vs handicraft
Handicraft is a noun meaning an activity or object made by hand; handcrafted is an adjective describing something made that way.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Handcrafted is an adjective that normally comes before a noun, so 'The handcrafted table is beautiful' is correct. 'The table is handcrafted' is possible in some contexts but less common; the other options place the adjective incorrectly or use it as a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “handcrafted or hand-crafted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.