artificial

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. 

The first records of the word artificial come from around 1400. It ultimately comes from the Latin artificiālis, meaning “belonging to art,” from artificium, meaning “skill.” (The related word artifice can refer to trickery or inventiveness.)

Artificial is typically used to indicate that the thing it describes was made and especially to contrast it with a natural version of that thing that grew or developed naturally.

Creating artificial versions of things can often be done more quickly and is often cheaper. However, the resulting product may be considered less quality, less healthy, or inferior in some other way.

What are some other forms related to artificial?

• artificially (adverb)
• artificiality (noun)

What are some synonyms for artificial?

• manufactured
• synthetic
• fake
• bogus
• counterfeit

What are some words that share a root or word element with artificial? 

• artificial intelligence
• artificial turf
• artificial life
• artifice
• art

What are some words that often get used in discussing artificial?

• natural
• sweetener
• ingredient
• flavor
• flavoring
• color
• chemical
• preservative
• additive
• intelligence
• turf
• grass

Artificial is a commonly used word that’s typically used to describe something that was made and does not occur naturally.

Artificial grape flavor is terrible

— Matthew P (@theedgyones) May 5, 2020

watering artificial flowers will never make them grow

— Emily Keenan (@butimmakeenan) May 5, 2020

British scientists are developing an artificial volcano to test climate change and the plot of many disaster movies.

— Joel Ingersoll 🥌 (@FlyoverJoel) September 14, 2011

Which of the following things could be described as artificial?

A. a flavor made in a lab
B. a naturally grown apple
C. a wild plant
D. bacteria