artificial [ahr-tuh -fish -uh l]
Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for artificial on Thesaurus.com made by human skill; produced by humans (opposed to natural ): artificial flowers. imitation; simulated; sham: artificial vanilla flavoring. lacking naturalness or spontaneity; forced; contrived; feigned: an artificial smile. full of affectation; affected; stilted: artificial manners; artificial speech. made without regard to the particular needs of a situation, person, etc.; imposed arbitrarily; unnatural: artificial rules for dormitory residents. Biology based on arbitrary, superficial characteristics rather than natural, organic relationships: an artificial system of classification. Jewelry manufactured to resemble a natural gem, in chemical composition or appearance. Compare assembled , imitation(def 11) , synthetic(def 6) . Show More
Origin of artificial 1350–1400; Middle English <
Latin artificiālis contrived by art; see
artifice ,
-al1 Related forms ar·ti·fi·cial·ly , adverb ar·ti·fi·cial·ness , noun o·ver·ar·ti·fi·cial , adjective o·ver·ar·ti·fi·cial·ly , adverb su·per·ar·ti·fi·cial , adjective su·per·ar·ti·fi·cial·ly , adverb un·ar·ti·fi·cial , adjective un·ar·ti·fi·cial·ly , adverb Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for artificial unreal ,
bogus ,
counterfeit ,
ersatz ,
factitious ,
manufactured ,
mock ,
phony ,
plastic ,
sham ,
simulated ,
specious ,
spurious ,
substitute ,
synthetic ,
unnatural ,
false ,
fabricated ,
faked Examples from the Web for artificial Contemporary Examples of artificial In the end, the line between magic and religion may be something of an artificial one.
Complete male reproductive independence would also hinge on artificial womb technology, which also made headlines in 2014.
In lieu of a traditional runway, Lagerfeld had the Grand Palais trussed up as an artificial city.
Not all scientists agree that artificial sweeteners are a no-no when it comes to your health and diet.
The market for artificial sweeteners has soared above $1 billion annually in the U.S. alone.
Historical Examples of artificial It had grown much too cold to do without some sort of artificial covering.
Artificial flies, like artificial flowers, never should follow nature.
As yet the use of machinery and artificial manure is almost unknown.
It is only the artificial and the complex that bewilder them.
I lead so artificial a life; but then I hope it is a useful one.
British Dictionary definitions for artificial produced by man; not occurring naturally artificial materials of great strength made in imitation of a natural product, esp as a substitute; not genuine artificial cream pretended; assumed; insincere an artificial manner lacking in spontaneity; affected an artificial laugh biology relating to superficial characteristics not based on the interrelationships of organisms an artificial classification Show More
Derived Forms artificiality (ˌɑːtɪˌfɪʃɪˈælɪtɪ ), noun artificially , adverb Word Origin for artificial C14: from Latin artificiālis belonging to art, from artificium skill, artifice
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for artificial adj. late 14c., in the phrase artificial day "part of the day from sunrise to sunset," from Old French artificial , from Latin artificialis "of or belonging to art," from artificium (see artifice ). Meaning "made by man" (opposite of natural ) is from early 15c. Applied to things that are not natural, whether real (artificial light ) or not (artificial flowers ). Artificial insemination dates from 1897. Artificial intelligence "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines" was coined in 1956.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
