artificial
[ahr-tuh-fish-uh l]
- 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).
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Origin of artificial
Synonyms
See more synonyms for artificial on Thesaurus.com1. synthetic. 2, 3. counterfeit, factitious. 4. pretentious.
Antonyms
2. genuine, real.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for artificially
Contemporary Examples
And we now know that while others were artificially enhancing their strength, you refused.
“These measures of penetrance are likely artificially high,” says University of Cardiff medical geneticist David Cooper.
Right now, attempts to broker peace in Sudan are artificially divided.
Satellites Correctly Predict Military Campaign Against Civilians in SudanAkshaya Kumar
December 9, 2013
Secessionism splits people into parts, artificially separating the voting booth from the synagogue pew.
Note: negative manifestation of this retrograde is overindulgence in that which artificially stills your racing mind.
Historical Examples
It is, therefore, quite superfluous to artificially stimulate it.
The Sexual QuestionAugust Forel
Yet the floor was so smooth that it must have been artificially leveled.
It would be absurd to remodel them artificially after a pattern.
PsychotherapyHugo Mnsterberg
It is to have a naturally, and not an artificially, different and separate climate.
The ChildrenAlice Meynell
But your mind is artificially coloured: it comes from the dyer's.
The Green CarnationRobert Smythe Hichens
artificial
- produced by man; not occurring naturallyartificial materials of great strength
- made in imitation of a natural product, esp as a substitute; not genuineartificial cream
- pretended; assumed; insincerean artificial manner
- lacking in spontaneity; affectedan artificial laugh
- biology relating to superficial characteristics not based on the interrelationships of organismsan artificial classification
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Word Origin
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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for artificially
adv.
early 15c.; see artificial + -ly (2).
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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