artifice
[ ahr-tuh-fis ]
/ ˈɑr tə fɪs /
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noun
a clever trick or stratagem; a cunning, crafty device or expedient; wile.
trickery; guile; craftiness.
cunning; ingenuity; inventiveness: a drawing-room comedy crafted with artifice and elegance.
a skillful or artful contrivance or expedient.
SYNONYMS FOR artifice
1 subterfuge.
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Origin of artifice
Words nearby artifice
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for artifice
artifice
/ (ˈɑːtɪfɪs) /
noun
a clever expedient; ingenious stratagem
crafty or subtle deception
skill; cleverness
a skilfully contrived device
obsolete craftsmanship
Word Origin for artifice
C16: from Old French, from Latin artificium skill, from artifex one possessed of a specific skill, from ars skill + -fex, from facere to make
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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