artificial

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɑːr.təˈfɪʃ.l̩/ UK /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #6741

Meanings

1

adj
Made by people rather than occurring in nature.

The flowers were artificial but looked very real.
2

adj
Not sincere; pretended or false.

Her friendly smile seemed cold and artificial.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · made by people rather than... man-made synthetic

2 adj · not sincere; pretended or... fake insincere contrived

More artificiousfactitious

Word family

Derived forms artificialismartificialistartificialityartificializationartificializeartificiallyartificialnessartilectbioartificialinartificialnonartificialoverartificial

Related forms artifact artifice artificer fake

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

artificial intelligence
computer methods that perform tasks associated with human reasoning or problem-solving

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Artificial is recorded from the late Middle Ages and belongs to the same Latin word family as art, from Latin ars. It could mean “skilful” as well as having its modern senses.

Etymology

From Middle English artificial (“man-made”) via Old French (modern French artificiel), from Latin artificiālis from artificium (“skill”), from artifex, from ars (“skill”), and -fex, from facere (“to make”). Displaced native Old English cræftlīċ.

*h₂er- Proto-Indo-European artificial Middle English artificiālis Latin *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# artificial

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌɑːr.təˈfɪʃ.l̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/
**Frequency rank:** 6741

## Meanings
1. Made by people rather than occurring in nature.
2. Not sincere; pretended or false.

## Examples
- The flowers were artificial but looked very real.
- Her friendly smile seemed cold and artificial.

## Synonyms
- artificious
- factitious

## Derived Forms
- artificialism
- artificialist
- artificiality
- artificialization
- artificialize
- artificially
- artificialness
- artilect
- bioartificial
- inartificial
- nonartificial
- overartificial

## Related Forms
- artifact
- artifice
- artificer
- fake

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂er-
- Root: artificial
- Root: artificiālis
- Root: *dʰeh₁-

## Etymology
From Middle English artificial (“man-made”) via Old French (modern French artificiel), from Latin artificiālis from artificium (“skill”), from artifex, from ars (“skill”), and -fex, from facere (“to make”). Displaced native Old English cræftlīċ.

## AI Etymology
Artificial comes from Middle English artificial (“man-made”) via Old French (modern French artificiel), from Latin artificiālis from artificium (“skill”), from artifex, from ars (“skill”), and -fex, from facere (“to make”). Displaced native Old English cræftlīċ. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- and Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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