What does artisanally mean?
Artisanally is an adverb meaning “in an artisanal manner,” usually with the implication that goods have been made by a skilled craftsperson rather than mass-produced. It commonly appears in phrases such as “artisanally crafted” and “artisanally made,” where it signals attention to materials, technique, and handwork. The word can suggest tradition, quality, and individuality, although those qualities are associations rather than guarantees; a product described as artisanally made is not automatically better or more genuinely handmade. The term is especially common in descriptions of food, beverages, furniture, textiles, and other crafted goods. It is also useful for distinguishing how something was made from what the finished object is. Artisanal normally functions as an adjective, while artisanally describes the manner of production. The word has a formal, specialist flavour in commercial and design writing but is broadly understood in English.
adverbIn the manner of an artisan, especially with skill, care, and attention to craftsmanship.
- In a skilled, careful, or craftspersonlike manner.
"The furniture was artisanally crafted from locally sourced oak."
"The cabinet was artisanally crafted from reclaimed walnut."
"In his lecture, the chef explained how the sauce was artisanally prepared."
Artisanally turns a maker into a manner: the word describes not just who made something, but how the making is done.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does artisanally come from?
Artisanally is an English adverb formed by adding -ly to artisanal. Artisanal was borrowed from French artisanal, a derivative of artisan. Artisan came through French from Italian artigiano, ultimately from Latin artifex, meaning “craftsman” or “artificer,” so artisanally shares its origin with artisan, artisanal, and artisanship.
How artisanally is actually used
More formal and specialist than handmade, artisanally often carries connotations of traditional skill and small-scale production. It can also function as a marketing term, so its use alone does not verify that a product is genuinely handmade.
Easily confused with artisanally
Artisanal is an adjective describing goods or a style of production, whereas artisanally is an adverb describing how something is made.