artisanal

Etymology

From artisan + -al.

adj

1. Of or pertaining to artisans or the work of artisans.
   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. 1997, Douglas W. Druick, Renoir, Art Institute of Chicago, page 13
   The fashion plate still retained its essentially artisanal character, and involved a process of several stages. 1998, Valerie Steele, Paris Fashion: A Cultural History, Berg, published 2006, page 112
   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. 1999, Susan Pollock, Ancient Mesopotamia, Cambridge University Press, published 2004, page 1
2. Involving skilled work, with comparatively little reliance on machinery.
   In addition, the artisanal mode of production promotes a stable cartel organization of industry by limiting output. 1995, Richard A. Posner, Overcoming Law, Harvard University Press, page 46
   Five species of penaeid shrimp are of commercial importance to both the artisanal and industrial fisheries of the northeast South America continental shelf. 2001, S. Kuruvilla, L. Ferreira, S. Soomai, A. Jacque, edited by Uwe Tietze, Report of the Regional Workshop on the Effects of Globalization and Deregulation on Fisheries in the Caribbean, III.8: Economic Performance and Technological Features of Marine Capture Fisheries: The Trawl Fishery of Trinidad and Tobago, page 119
   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). 2008, Gloria L. Gallardo Fernández, From Seascapes of Exinction to Seascapes of Confidence, page 70
3. (of an item, especially a foodstuff) Made by an artisan (skilled worker).
   A sprinkle of aged artisanal soy sauce (my latest obsession) makes this simple dish seem like a feast. 2007 August, Ruth Reichl, “Letter from the Editor”, in Gourmet, page 18
   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, Thom Leonard, edited by Daniel T. DiMuzio, Bread Baking: An Artisan′s Perspective, Artisan Baker Profile: Thom Leonard, page 26
   To complement an artisanal cheese or a fresh loaf of rosemary bread, nothing compares to a glass of fine wine. 2010 July—August, Leslie Southard, “The Art of Cooking”, in Log Home Living, page 71