artifact
Americannoun
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artifacts
plural
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any object made by human beings, especially with a view to subsequent use.
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a handmade object, as a tool, or the remains of one, as a shard of pottery, characteristic of an earlier time or cultural stage, especially such an object found at an archaeological excavation.
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any mass-produced, usually inexpensive object reflecting contemporary society or popular culture.
artifacts of the pop rock generation.
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a substance or structure not naturally present in the matter being observed but formed by artificial means, as during preparation of a microscope slide.
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a spurious observation or result arising from preparatory or investigative procedures.
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any feature that is not naturally present but is a product of an extrinsic agent, method, or the like.
statistical artifacts that make the inflation rate seem greater than it is.
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Digital Technology. a visible or audible anomaly introduced in the processing or transmission of digital data: Ghosting artifacts in an MRI are usually the result of patient movement during a scan.
Your computer might need a new graphics card if you see green pixels where you should not, or other graphics artifacts.
Ghosting artifacts in an MRI are usually the result of patient movement during a scan.
verb (used with object)
noun
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An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest.
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An artificial product or effect observed in a natural system, especially one introduced by the technology used in scientific investigation or by experimental error.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of artifact
First recorded in 1815–25; variant of artefact (a spelling first recorded in 1625–50 ) from Latin phrase arte factum “(something) made with skill.” See art 1, fact
Explanation
An artifact is a man-made object that has some kind of cultural significance. If you find a 12th-century vase, it's an artifact of that time. Don't drop it! Artifact is a combination of two Latin words, arte, meaning "by skill" and factum which means "to make." Usually when you use the word artifact, you are describing something crafted that was used for a particular purpose during a much earlier time.
Vocabulary lists containing artifact
Make Do: Fac
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Freak the Mighty
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The Origins of Civilization, Lessons 1–2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The car’s muted voice is likewise an artifact of stricter sound-pollution requirements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
"Why? Because if you hurt a model, it's fine. If you hurt a 2,300-year-old ancient artifact, you'll have a bunch of archeologists ready to jump you. Not to mention me jump you!"
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
The wide spread may have been a lingering artifact of the Eurozone debt crisis that followed the financial crisis, but either way, it has started to widen.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
He was the genuine artifact, the son of an impoverished Minnesota miner; a lumberjack and a steelworker in his youth.
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
I jumped from my seat and walked proudly up to the front of the class, holding my letter as if it were a rare artifact.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
She calls these artifacts “workmanships,” a word embracing “work” and “man”: art contains our image and likeness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
In addition, the museum’s curators tended to be specialized in material culture — collecting and studying the museum’s several million objects and artifacts — rather than in conceptual storytelling.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
Still, the exhibitions spotlight ships, swords and artifacts of trade and travel, placing them front and center.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
The designer’s omnivorous view, influenced by ancient fossils, cutting-edge science and the natural world, is revealed in a show at the Brooklyn Museum that juxtaposes her couture creations with museum artifacts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Her mother had lined the walls with tall mirrors so visitors could see the artifacts from all angles.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
