English

Adjective

artisanal ‎(not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to artisans or the work of artisans.
   • 1997, Douglas W. Druick, Renoir, Art Institute of Chicago (1997), ISBN 9780810963252, page 13:

     In short, the young artist was developing a special respect for an aesthetic as well as an artisanal tradition that would set him apart from his future Impressionist colleagues.

   • 1998, Valerie Steele, Paris Fashion: A Cultural History, Berg (2006), ISBN 1859739733, page 112:

     The fashion plate still retained its essentially artisanal character, and involved a process of several stages.

   • 1999, Susan Pollock, Ancient Mesopotamia, Cambridge University Press (2004), ISBN 0521573343, page 1:

     It was the labor of the majority that funded the trading expeditions, military conquests, and artisanal expertise responsible for the great works of art and architecture that we still admire today.

2. Involving skilled work, with comparatively little reliance on machinery.
   • 1995, Richard A. Posner, Overcoming Law, Harvard University Press, page 46:

     “In addition, the artisanal mode of production promotes a stable cartel organization of industry by limiting output.”

   • 2001, S. Kuruvilla, L. Ferreira, S. Soomai, A. Jacque, III.8: Economic Performance and Technological Features of Marine Capture Fisheries: The Trawl Fishery of Trinidad and Tobago, Uwe Tietze (editor), Report of the Regional Workshop on the Effects of Globalization and Deregulation on Fisheries in the Caribbean, FAO Fisheries Report No. 640, page 119,

     Five species of penaeid shrimp are of commercial importance to both the artisanal and industrial fisheries of the northeast South America continental shelf.

   • 2008, Gloria L. Gallardo Fernández, From Seascapes of Exinction to Seascapes of Confidence, page 70,

     Of the 200 nautical miles of Chilean EEZ, the major part (195 miles) is reserved for industrial fishing, while artisanal fishing has a mere 5 miles (LPA, 1991, Art. 3 and 4).

3. (of an item, especially a foodstuff) Made by an artisan (skilled worker).
   • 2007 August, Ruth Reichl, Letter from the Editor, Gourmet, page 18,

     A sprinkle of aged artisanal soy sauce (my latest obsession) makes this simple dish seem like a feast.

   • 2010, Thom Leonard, Artisan Baker Profile: Thom Leonard, Daniel T. DiMuzio. Bread Baking: An Artisan′s Perspective, page 26,

     I could not have imagined that there would be nationally distributed artisanal bread that rivaled or surpassed the quality of much of the locally produced bread or that this would be the main competition.

   • 2010 July—August, Leslie Southard, The Art of Cooking, Log Home Living, page 71,

     To complement an artisanal cheese or a fresh loaf of rosemary bread, nothing compares to a glass of fine wine.

Synonyms

• (involving skilled work): nonindustrial, preindustrial, small-scale
• (made by artisans): boutique, handmade

Derived terms

• artisanality

Translations

See also

• cottage industry
• gourmet

French

Etymology

artisan +‎ -al

Adjective

artisanal m ‎(feminine singular artisanale, masculine plural artisanaux, feminine plural artisanales)

1. artisanal
2. (often derogatory) makeshift
   • Leur logiciel de gestion de la clientèle, fait par un stagiaire, est très artisanal et sujet aux plantages.

     Their customer management software – developed by a trainee – is very makeshift and crash-prone.