Artificial — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˌär-tə-ˈfi-shᵊl/ ar·ti·fi·cial

Meaning & Definition of Artificial

Artificial (adjective)

  1. made, produced, or done by humans especially to seem like something natural, man-made
  2. serving to temporarily or permanently supplement or replace a usually vital bodily function or necessary substance (such as nutrients or water)
  3. caused or produced by human actions or methods especially for economic, social, or political aims

Artificial (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking in natural or spontaneous quality

    "their artificial smiles did not make us feel very welcome"

    similar: affected, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, phony, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural
    related: automatic, canned, concocted, fabricated, hokey, labored, manufactured, pat, unauthentic, unreal, unrealistic, double-dealing, empty, facile, hollow, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, mealy, mealymouthed, two-faced, unctuous, exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical, cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering, conventional, formal, impersonal, inflexible, rigid, stiff, stylized, wooden, artful, calculated, conscious, cultivated, deliberate, premeditated, studied
    opposite: artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced
    near: authentic, bona fide, real, realistic, right, true, honest, ingenuous, sincere, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied

  2. not being or expressing what one appears to be or express

    "the familiar sight of the award winner accepting the artificial congratulations of the other nominees"

    similar: backhanded, counterfeit, double, double-dealing, double-faced, fake, feigned, hypocritical, insincere, Janus-faced, jive (slang), left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony, phony-baloney, pretended, two-faced, unctuous
    related: affected, assumed, claptrap, contrived, forced, mechanical, put-on, simulated, strained, unnatural, empty, hollow, meaningless, deceitful, devious, dishonest, false, untruthful, facile, glib, superficial, bogus, sham, campy, facetious, jocular, tongue-in-cheek, canting, pharisaical, pious, sanctimonious, self-righteous, simon-pure
    opposite: artless, candid, genuine, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning, unfeigned
    near: direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward

  3. being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials

    "artificial fruit made from wax"

    similar: bogus, dummy, ersatz, factitious, fake, false, faux, imitation, imitative, man-made, mimic, mock, pretend, sham, simulated, substitute, synthetic
    related: cultured, manufactured, process, unauthentic, adulterated, designer, doctored, engineered, fudged, juggled, manipulated, tampered (with), concocted, fabricated, counterfeit, deceptive, forged, fraudulent, misleading, phony, affected, brummagem, feigned, pinchbeck, pseudo, spurious
    opposite: genuine, natural, real
    near: authentic, bona fide, legitimate, true, premium, quality, valuable, pure, unadulterated

  4. produced by humans rather than natural processes

    "I find that artificial sweeteners often have an odd aftertaste"

    similar: man-made, nonnatural, synthetic
    related: fabricated, manufactured, cultivated, processed, refined, industrial, mechanical, ersatz, faux, imitation
    opposite: natural
    near: crude, raw

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Artificial

The most common words with a similar meaning to Artificial:

Slang: jive
affected, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, phony, plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural, backhanded, counterfeit, double, double-dealing, double-faced, hypocritical, insincere, Janus-faced, left-handed, lip, mealy, mealymouthed, Pecksniffian, phony-baloney, two-faced, unctuous, dummy, ersatz, faux

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Artificial

Words with the opposite meaning of Artificial:

artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned, unforced, candid, heartfelt, honest, sincere, undesigning, real

Related Words for Artificial

automatic, canned, concocted, fabricated, hokey, labored, manufactured, pat, unauthentic, unreal, unrealistic, empty, facile, hollow, exaggerated, histrionic, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, theatrical, cute, cutesy, genteel, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering, conventional, formal, impersonal

Near Antonyms of Artificial

authentic, bona fide, realistic, right, true, ingenuous, unpretending, easy, effortless, smooth, extemporaneous, impromptu, impulsive, instinctive, unconscious, unprompted, unrehearsed, unstudied, direct, forthright, frank, heart-to-heart, open, plain, straightforward, legitimate, premium, quality, valuable, pure

Word Forms of Artificial

Derived words: artificiality (noun), artificially (adverb), artificialness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Artificial

Middle English, "devised by humans (as opposed to originating naturally or divinely)," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French artificiel, borrowed from Medieval Latin artificiālis "produced by human skill, skilled, artistic," going back to Latin, "furnished or contrived by art (in rhetoric)," from artificium "artistry, craftsmanship, craft" + -ālis -al:1 artifice

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Artificial

Words & Phrases Containing Artificial

artificial general intelligence, artificial horizon, artificial insemination, artificial intelligence, artificial respiration, artificial selection, artificial light

Frequently Asked Questions about Artificial

What does "Artificial" mean?

"Artificial" means made, produced, or done by humans especially to seem like something natural, man-made. As an adjective, it is defined as: made, produced, or done by humans especially to seem like something natural, man-made. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Artificial"?

Other words for "Artificial" include affected, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false and feigned. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Artificial" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Artificial"?

There are 128 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Artificial". Common alternatives include affected, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced and mechanical.

What is the opposite of "Artificial"?

Antonyms of "Artificial" include artless, genuine, natural, spontaneous, unaffected, uncontrived, unfeigned and unforced. Near antonyms include authentic, bona fide, realistic and right.

How do you use "Artificial" in a sentence?

Examples of "Artificial" in a sentence: "their artificial smiles did not make us feel very welcome"; "the familiar sight of the award winner accepting the artificial congratulations of the other nominees"; "artificial fruit made from wax".

Is "Artificial" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Artificial" is an adjective.

Is "Artificial" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Artificial" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Artificial"?

"Artificial" is pronounced /ˌär-tə-ˈfi-shᵊl/ and divided into syllables as ar·ti·fi·cial.