artificial

[ahr-tuh-fish-uhl]

adjective

1. made by human skill; produced by humans (natural ).

   artificial flowers.

   Synonyms: synthetic

2. imitation; simulated; sham.

   artificial vanilla flavoring.

   Synonyms: factitious, counterfeit
   Antonyms: real, genuine

3. lacking naturalness or spontaneity; forced; contrived; feigned.

   an artificial smile.

   Synonyms: factitious, counterfeit

4. full of affectation; affected; stilted.

   artificial manners; artificial speech.

   Synonyms: pretentious

5. made without regard to the particular needs of a situation, person, etc.; imposed arbitrarily; unnatural.

   artificial rules for dormitory residents.

6. Biology.,  based on arbitrary, superficial characteristics rather than natural, organic relationships.

   an artificial system of classification.

7. Jewelry.,  manufactured to resemble a natural gem, in chemical composition or appearance.

artificial

/ ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃəl, ˌɑːtɪˌfɪʃɪˈælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. produced by man; not occurring naturally

   artificial materials of great strength

2. made in imitation of a natural product, esp as a substitute; not genuine

   artificial cream

3. pretended; assumed; insincere

   an artificial manner

4. lacking in spontaneity; affected

   an artificial laugh

5. biology relating to superficial characteristics not based on the interrelationships of organisms

   an artificial classification

Other Word Forms

• artificially adverb
• artificialness noun
• overartificial adjective
• overartificially adverb
• superartificial adjective
• superartificially adverb
• unartificial adjective
• unartificially adverb
• artificiality noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of artificial¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin artificiālis “contrived by art”; equivalent to artifice + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of artificial¹

C14: from Latin artificiālis belonging to art, from artificium skill, _artifice

Example Sentences

By analyzing its new model, the team came to surprising conclusions that could prove useful for robot design, artificial intelligence, and for better understanding of human memory.

Read more on Science Daily

Estyn's report on artificial intelligence says some teachers are using it to plan lessons and to draft letters to parents and pupil reports.

Read more on BBC

And much of it is generated by artificial intelligence.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"I don't think we should put up an artificial barrier towards a border poll."

Read more on BBC

Despite his emphasis on artificial intelligence ventures, Tesla still relies heavily on its core car business, which has been under pressure on multiple fronts.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• man-made 
• synthetic 
• unnatural 

When To Use

What does artificial mean?

Artificial is used to describe things that are made or manufactured as opposed to occurring naturally. Artificial is often used as the opposite of natural. A close synonym of artificial is synthetic.This sense of the word is often used in the context of food to describe things like ingredients, flavors, additives, and preservatives that are chemically processed. Food packaging often specifies whether a product has natural or artificial flavors (or both). An artificial sweetener is a kind of chemical used as a substitute for sugar, such as in diet sodas.Artificial is not only used in the context of food. Artificial turf is a grasslike surface used for sports playing fields. Artificial diamonds are those that are manufactured, as opposed to those that have developed through natural processes in the earth. Artificial flowers are often used as decorations. Artificial intelligence generally refers to the ability of a computer to function in a way that mimics or is likened to the human mind.Sometimes, artificial is used in a more negative way to describe something as fake or imitation, as in Something about this tastes artificial. This sense of the word is sometimes used figuratively to describe something as being faked, phony, or contrived—the opposite of real or genuine, as in an artificial smile.  Example: The stadium just installed a field with artificial grass that is supposed to feel identical to real grass.