Competent, practical, and carefully executed without unnecessary display.
Reach for it when giving measured praise to solid craft or performance rather than brilliance
The crew completed a workmanlike repair before the next storm.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| professional |
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| formal | |
| literary |
playful
no-frills
Fits when lack of decoration is an intentional practical strength
Careful No-frills can mean cheap or sparse and says nothing about competence.
everyday
Fits when dependable quality matters more than flair
Careful Solid can praise an idea or structure without pointing to skilled execution.
everyday
Fits when neat finish is the visible achievement
Careful A tidy result can be superficial or technically weak.
professional
Fits when meeting the required standard is the precise praise
Careful Competent can apply to a person generally and says less about practical finish.
professional
Fits when disciplined standards and presentation matter
Careful Professional can describe status or demeanor and may overstate formal training.
formal
serviceable
Fits when adequate usefulness is the honest level
Careful Serviceable is cooler and may imply lower quality than workmanlike.
literary
craftlike
Fits when visible practical technique should be emphasized
Careful Craftlike is uncommon and does not carry the measured adequacy of workmanlike.
workmanlike performance
A workmanlike performance secured the point without memorable flair.
workmanlike repair
The workmanlike repair kept every original board that remained sound.
workmanlike job
The apprentice did a workmanlike job of fitting the replacement latch.
Keep in mind
Workmanlike is gendered in form and often faint praise. Competent or well-executed is usually clearer for a person or mixed team.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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