inartfuladj.
/(ˌ)ɪnˈɑːtf(ᵿ)l/, U.S. /ˌɪnˈɑrtfəl/ Lacking artifice; unsophisticated, unrefined; wanting polish or technical skill. Later also: unsubtle, tactless.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > foundation in fact, validity > [adjective] > in its natural state, unsophisticated
purec1300
right1466
sincere1557
in grain?1577
genuine1607
unsophisticate1607
honesta1616
undistracted1656
unsophisticated1664
inartful1714
unabsurd1744
in the raw1785
1714 tr. Life Aristides 30 A Man of plain and Inartful Simplicity of Manners.
1755 ‘P. Billings’ Folly Predominant 3 I impartially conceive that large, sumptuous and inartful public Edifice, to be much rather an Hospital of Incurables, than to be the least serviceable in their Cure.
1831 Sporting Mag. Nov. 15/2 Some Brussels lace, worth five pounds a yard, looked as if it were..fastened, or clotted together in a very inartful manner.
1957 Columbia Law Rev. 57 444 Difficulties have arisen because of the inartful language used by the legislature to accomplish this purpose.
1986 San Diego Union-Tribune (Nexis) 18 Aug. a3 The voters rejected his successive efforts to slash state income rates in half and to curb local government fees, in part because of flawed and inartful drafting.
2005 V. A. McConnell Sympathy for Devil vii. 125 At this inartful reference to his client's probable future, everyone looked at Theo for his reaction.
Derivatives
inˈartfully adv.
ΚΠ
1750 E. Kimber Life Joe Thompson II. lv. 244 She is so inartfully merry and debonair, that she exactly suits my Temper.
1854 Coll. Patent Cases 622 This section, as has been observed by most judges, is inartfully drawn.
2008 Roanoke (Va.) Times (Nexis) 27 June b9 As James Dobson has inartfully pointed out, Obama is not a traditional evangelical when it comes to biblical interpretation and certain moral issues.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2009; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1714