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

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

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

This new design could illuminate the future of phone and computer screens as well as other lighting applications, all while minimizing sleep disruption caused by harsh artificial light.

Read more on Science Daily

“You don’t know which lever you’re going to have to pull,” says DesCoteaux, who is steeped in artificial intelligence in her own job at a logistics company.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Tech stocks and speculation in artificial intelligence have been a key driver of market gains, but the rally has broadened to other sectors as well.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

To this point, it has managed to survive by inhabiting artificial waterways like irrigation, canals and rice fields, where it became a familiar sight for local farmers, according to the U.S.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

AMD’s biggest foray into artificial intelligence began in late 2023 with its launch of the MI300 series of graphics processing units, or GPUs, the chips required for the advanced computing workloads behind AI.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.