Meanings
craftly1
comparative more craftly · superlative most craftly
- rareSkillful, expert; indicative of skill.
His protest included a carpe diem; seize the day before Saturn gobbles it up. It was only natural that, before William James and Bergson, he should have created means of expressing inwardness and, before Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, a model of the novel as a craftly document.
1963, Paul West, “The limits”, in The Modern Novel, London: Hutchinson of London, →OCLC, part one (Flux), page 113 more examples
Theſe ymages were made full curyouſly / With theyꝛ hoꝛſes of the ſtele ſo fyne / And eche of them in theyꝛ places ſundꝛy / About were ſette that clerely dyde ſhyne / Lyke Dyane clere in her ſpere celeſtyne / And vnder eche hoꝛſe there was full pꝛyuely / A grete whele made by craftly geometry
1506, Stephen hawes, “How graũde amoure came to the toure of chyualry”, in […] [T]he Passe Tyme of Pleasure, London: […] wynkyn de worde, published [1517], →OCLC, signature K.ij., verso; reprinted in The Works of Stephen Hawes: Facsimile Reproductions […] , Delmar, N.Y.: Scholars’ Facsimiles & Reprints, 1975, →OCLCAll genuine lovers of pictorial art are earnestly exhorted to miss no available opportunity of visiting the Nevinson show at the Leicester Gallery. It is a wonderfully versatile genius Mr. Nevinson displays in this exhibition. There are all sorts of subjects, and all sorts of styles, but all of them interesting, every one of them craftly and distinguished.
1919 October 29, “[London Letter: Westminster, Tuesday Night.] Artist and Humourist.”, in The Devon and Exeter Daily Gazette, volume CXLVII, number 22,924, Exeter, →OCLC, page 4, column 2The L.D.S. leadership actively recruited potters; they were an essential part of their idealized, self-sustained Utopian communities. This ideology perpetuated the master-apprentice system in pottery production, while in the production centers, the craftly ideal was being replaced by modern, specialized production systems marked by mechanization, specialization, and deskilling.
1999 September, Timothy J. Scarlett, “Narcissus’s Mirror: Manufacture and Modernism in the American Great Basin—The Case of Pottery”, in International Journal of Historical Archaeology, volume 3, number 3, New York, N.Y.: Plenum Publishing Corporation, →DOI, →ISSN, section “The Production of Ideology”, page 171 - nonstandardobsoleterareCrafty, cunning.
Mo than a thouſande ways he hath / by his craftly fraudes to deceyue man.
1526, [William Bonde], “Howe this iourney generally begynneth in our baptyme / and of the obligacion made bytwene god and vs / and of certayne benefytes that god hath prouided for vs / and specially of the tree of lyfe / the blessed sacramente of the aultar”, in […] [T]he Pylgrimage of Perfection: […], London: […] Richarde Pynson […], →OCLC, first book, folio xvii, verso2 more examples
I call it ſinful, becauſe in my Judgement, all factious Jeſuited Men, that under the ſeveral Maſks or Cant-Terms of Perſecution, Liberty, Free Thinking, Hardſhip of the Teſt-Act, or the like hypocritical and craftly Pretences, are for diſturbing the Peace of the Nation, and bringing in the Pretender, are as corrupt in their Minds, and as rebellious in their Hearts, as the very Rebels that fought for the Pretdneer^([sic – meaning Pretender]) at Dumblain or Preſton.
1733, “Sect. III. I now come to the last Enquiry, viz. ‘Whether Atheistical, Prophane, Treacherous and Seditious Writers ought to be Punished?’”, in A Seasonable Preservative against the Wiles of Popery; or Modern Deism Real Jesuitism: Wherein Deism Is Try’d, Unmask’d, and Condemn’d, […], London: […] J. Wilford, […], →OCLC, pages 56–57But vain were words, entreaties vain, / The craftly witch secured my swain.
1921, Aristaenetus, translated by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and [Nathaniel Brassey] Halhed, “[From the Love Epistles of Aristaenetus. (358 A. D.)] The Sisters”, in T[homas] R[obert] Smith, editor, Poetica Erotica: A Collection of Rare and Curious Amatory Verse, volume 1, New York, N.Y.: […] [F]or subscribers only by Boni and Liveright, →OCLC, page 73
craftly2
comparative more craftly · superlative most craftly
- rareSkillfully, expertly.
Due to considerations of brevity, we mention only a few of these craftly written works.
1981, Marjorie Agosin, “Edla Van Steen, ed., O conto da mulher brasileira. Sao Paulo: Vertente Editora, 1978. 251 p.”, in The Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature, volume 35, number 1, Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, →DOI, →ISSN, page 833 more examples
Now cryſt [i.e., Christ] our comely creature clerer thã cryſtal clene / That craftly made euery creature by good recreacyon / Saue all this company that is gathered here bydene / And ſet all your ſoules in to good ſaluacyon
c. 1500–6, […] [T]he Worlde and the Chylde / otherwyse Called [Mundus ⁊ Infans] […], London: […] wynkyn de worde, published 17 July 1522, →OCLC, signature C.iiij., verso; reproduced in facsimile as The World and the Child otherwise Mundus & Infans (The Tudor Facsimile Texts), London; Edinburgh: […] T. C. & E. C. Jack, […], 1909, →OCLCThe Pen Becomes a Clarion / When we write about this gracious Hillsborough home. 8 rms. in all, craftly decorated as only large high-ceiling rooms can be, some beautifully beamed.
1959 September 23, Coldwell, Banker & Co., “The Pen Becomes a Clarion”, in San Mateo Times, volume 59, number 228, San Mateo, Calif., page 26, column 6They also have an aqua-section which is brightly lit with bue^([sic – meaning blue]) lights and is craftly decorated with marine artifacts.
2017 November 5, “Fab 15 – These Are The Best Themed Restaurants In Delhi-NCR”, in India Chronicles, New Delhi, archived from the original on 07 Apr 2024 - nonstandardobsoleterareCraftily, cunningly.
In the quhylkis war nocht, bot bꝛokyn leiffis and few of thaym bꝛaider than the palme of ane mannis hand, wꝛittin craftly on rude and hard parchement.
[[1540?], Hector Boece, translated by Johne Bellenden, “Of Ethodius brothir to Eugenius afore rehersit. Of his gouernance in Denmark and of his successioun. Hovv Rome vvas tane be Gothis, and hovv syndry spulzeis thairof fell to Fergus the secund.”, in […] [T]he Hystory and Croniklis of Scotland (in Scots), Edinburgh: […] Thomas Dauidson, […], →OCLC, seventh book, folios [lxxxii], verso – lxxxiii, recto3 more examples
[…] of ſo high a Science they haue made a certaine Logomachie, that is, an vndiſcreate altercation, goinge from ſchole to ſchole, mouinge queſtions, foꝛging opinions, and wꝛong the Scriptures with intricate wooꝛdes geuinge them a contrarie ſence, redier craftly to deceiue, then plainely to trie out the truthe, […]
1569, Henrie [i.e., Heinrich] Cornelius Agrippa, translated by Ja[mes] San[dford], “Of Scholasticall Diuinitie”, in Of the Vanitie and Vncertaintie of Artes and Sciences, London: […] Henry Wykes […], →OCLC, folio 169, rectoIf a man then opened his lips, respecting religion, ten to one, but it cost him both his life and property; and it is an awful fact, that if a Protestant New Testament had been found in a man’s premises, in a Roman Catholic Country, not anything could have saved himself and family from utter ruin. And how much better would our lordly priests treat us if they yet had the use of the sword? which that mighty engine, they so craftly wished to set to work, National Education under their jurisdiction, might have given them. They are determined enemies to any popular system.
1845, James Crozer, A Glimpse of All the Denominations of the Priesthood, […], Newcastle upon Tyne: […] W. B. Leighton, […], →OCLC, page 17Beginning with the late, great comedian Ted Healy, Gard drew virtually all of the top ones. He drew them craftly, coldly, violently and he called them “All Gard’s Chillun.” He made many women cry; […]
1953 December 10, Mel Heimer, “My New York”, in The Journal-News, volume 64, number 183, Nyack, N.Y., page eleven, column 3
Origin
craftly · adjective
- Old Englishcræftlīc
- Middle Englishcrafftly
- Englishcraftly
From Middle English crafftly, craftely, from Old English cræftlīc; equivalent to craft + -ly.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →craftly · adverb
- Old Englishcræftlīce
- Middle Englishcraflike
- Englishcraftly
From Middle English craflike, craftli, craftliche, craftly, creftly, from Old English cræftlīce; equivalent to craft + -ly.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
craftly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/craftly
“craftly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/craftly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “craftly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/craftly.
Source: craftly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.