craft-guild
Definition
Noun: A craft-guild is an association of artisans or craftspeople in a particular trade or craft, formed in the Middle Ages to regulate standards of work, protect members' interests, and control training and prices.
Usage Examples
- (An association of stonemasons controlling their trade.)
- (The guild for goldsmiths regulating training.)
Advanced Usage
"craft-guild system": the historical structure of trade organization in which craft-guilds dominated urban economies.
- The craft-guild system declined with the rise of industrial capitalism. (The system of guilds lost power during the Industrial Revolution.)
"master of a craft-guild": a senior member who had achieved the highest rank in a guild.
- Only a master of the craft-guild could open his own workshop. (A qualified senior artisan.)
Variants and Related Words
Guild (n): a broader term for any association of people with common interests, especially in trade or crafts.
- The merchant guild controlled trade in the city. (A general trade association.)
Craftsmanship (n): the skill and quality of work produced by a craftsperson.
- His craftsmanship was renowned throughout the guild. (His skilled work.)
Synonyms
- Trade union: a modern organization of workers in a specific industry (though craft-guilds were more exclusive and regulated production).
- Artisans' association: a group of skilled manual workers in a craft.
Related Idioms
- "Guild mentality": a mindset of protecting one's trade or profession from outsiders.
- The old carpenters had a guild mentality, refusing to share their techniques. (A protective, exclusive attitude.)
Phrasal Verbs
- (None directly associated with "craft-guild". The term is a noun, not a verb.)