not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a disingenuous excuse"
Used in a Sentence
artful
How to use artful in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for artful.
Editorial note
Just that it's difficult to do in an artful way.
Examples7
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a disingenuous excuse"
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of artful gathered in one view.
marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors"
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for artful.
adjective
not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a disingenuous excuse"
See also: disingenuous
adjective
marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft; "the artful dodger"; "an artful choice of metaphors"
Example sentences
Just that it's difficult to do in an artful way.
That's like saying "there can be artful snuff films".hang on, sir/madam.
The point is not to show how how clever or artful you are, it is to make your points in ways that will stick.
I worked with a guy once who wrote brilliant code, artful, efficient, and very few bugs.
It's what the NYT, CNN, etc... should be doing instead of screwing around with more artful ways of presenting puff pieces ie: "snow fall".
It can be artful at times, but it seldom communicates any information, or real emotion, and is a waste of the reader's bandwidth.
If this piece is displayed publicly, such that anyone who is willing can work for minimum wage, what sort of artful, philosophical statement would be made when one enterprising individual attaches a solar powered motor to the crank?
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use artful in a sentence?
Just that it's difficult to do in an artful way.
What does artful mean?
not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time"- David Cannadine; "a disingenuous excuse"
What part of speech is artful?
artful is commonly used as adjective.