Meanings
plural tradecrafts
- countableuncountableThe skills acquired through experience of a trade.
- countableuncountableespionageThe methods used in espionage and clandestine operations.
Defending the move, Ms. [Tulsi] Gabbard’s office highlighted what it said were problems of tradecraft, or the methodology used to gather information and analyze intelligence for the report.
2025 September 26, Julian E. Barnes, Helene Cooper, “Gabbard Ends Intelligence Report on Future Threats to U.S.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 Sep 20251 more example
The conduct of the meeting and the passing of intelligence is simply amateurish statecraft and intelligence tradecraft, and begs the question: Who are the professionals planning the strategy and operations that direct the President on the world stage?
2017 May 16, Mark Hertling, “Trump had the right to do it, but should he have?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 29 Jun 2017
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*dreh₂-
- Proto-Germanic*tradō
- Proto-West Germanic*trudo
- Old Saxontrada
- Middle Low Germantrade
- Middle Englishtrade
- Englishtrade
- Proto-Germanic*krafjaną
- Proto-Germanic*kraftuz
- Proto-West Germanic*kraftu
- Old Englishcræft
- Englishtradecraft
Translations
Finnish ammattitaito, vakoilumenetelmät
- ammattitaitoskills acquired through experience of a trade
- vakoilumenetelmätmethods used in espionage
Cite this entry
tradecraft. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tradecraft
“tradecraft.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tradecraft. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tradecraft,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tradecraft.
Source: tradecraft on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.