Artificiality — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

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

Meaning & Definition of Artificiality

Artificiality (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

Artificiality (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in smoothness, unctuousness

    similar: glibness, oiliness, smoothness, unctuousness, duplicity, fakery, falseness, fraudulentness, shamming, affectation, affectedness, pretense, pretension, pretentiousness, sanctimoniousness, self-righteousness, self-satisfaction, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, deceptiveness, dishonesty, double-dealing, falsity, perfidy, two-facedness, cant, dissembling, dissimulation, hypocrisy, insincerity, piousness
    opposite: genuineness, sincereness, sincerity, candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness, honesty, openheartedness, openness, probity, straightforwardness, truthfulness, artlessness, guilelessness, naturalness, unaffectedness

Related Entry: Artificial (adjective)

Artificial is a different word from Artificiality. The synonyms below are for artificial, not for artificiality.

  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 Artificiality

The most common words with a similar meaning to Artificiality:

glibness, oiliness, smoothness, unctuousness, duplicity, fakery, falseness, fraudulentness, shamming, affectation, affectedness, pretense, pretension, pretentiousness, sanctimoniousness, self-righteousness, self-satisfaction, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, deceptiveness, dishonesty, double-dealing, falsity, perfidy, two-facedness, cant, dissembling, dissimulation, hypocrisy, insincerity, piousness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Artificiality

Words with the opposite meaning of Artificiality:

genuineness, sincereness, sincerity, candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness, honesty, openheartedness, openness, probity, straightforwardness, truthfulness, artlessness, guilelessness, naturalness, unaffectedness

Word Forms of Artificiality

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

Origin & Etymology of Artificiality

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

Frequently Asked Questions about Artificiality

What does "Artificiality" mean?

"Artificiality" means made, produced, or done by humans especially to seem like something natural, man-made. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: made, produced, or done by humans especially to seem like something natural, man-made.

What is another word for "Artificiality"?

Other words for "Artificiality" include glibness, oiliness, smoothness, unctuousness, duplicity, fakery, falseness and fraudulentness. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Artificiality" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Artificiality"?

There are 32 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Artificiality". Common alternatives include glibness, oiliness, smoothness, unctuousness, duplicity, fakery, falseness, fraudulentness, shamming and affectation.

What is the opposite of "Artificiality"?

Antonyms of "Artificiality" include genuineness, sincereness, sincerity, candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness and honesty.

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

"Artificiality" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Artificiality"?

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

What is the origin of the word "Artificiality"?

"Artificiality" comes from 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.

What is another word for "Artificiality" meaning "as in smoothness, unctuousness"?

When "Artificiality" (noun) means as in smoothness, unctuousness, synonyms include glibness, oiliness, smoothness, unctuousness, duplicity and fakery. Opposites in this sense include genuineness, sincereness, sincerity and candor.