Craftly

/ˈkræftli/ adjective

Definition

Characterized by craft or skill; showing evidence of careful, skilled work (archaic form).

Etymology

From 'craft' with the adjective-forming suffix '-ly,' an older pattern (now largely replaced by '-y' as in 'crafty'). This represents an earlier stage of English word formation.

Kelly Says

Craftly is essentially a historical twin of 'crafty'—both were valid once, but 'crafty' won out and 'craftly' disappeared, a reminder that many grammar 'rules' are just winning words in a competition for survival.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.