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Artificial

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ar⋅ti⋅fi⋅cial

  [ahr-tuh-fish-uhl]
Use Artificial in a Sentence
–adjective
1. made by human skill; produced by humans (opposed to natural ): artificial flowers.
2. imitation; simulated; sham: artificial vanilla flavoring.
3. lacking naturalness or spontaneity; forced; contrived; feigned: an artificial smile.
4. full of affectation; affected; stilted: artificial manners; artificial speech.
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. Compare assembled, imitation (def. 11), synthetic (def. 6).
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L artificiālis contrived by art; see artifice, -al 1

Related forms:
ar⋅ti⋅fi⋅cial⋅ly, adverb
ar⋅ti⋅fi⋅cial⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. synthetic. 2, 3. counterfeit, factitious. 4. pretentious.

Antonyms:
2. genuine, real.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ar·ti·fi·cial   (är'tə-fĭsh'əl)   
adj.  

    1. Made by humans; produced rather than natural.

    2. Brought about or caused by sociopolitical or other human-generated forces or influences: set up artificial barriers against women and minorities; an artificial economic boom.

  2. Made in imitation of something natural; simulated: artificial teeth.

  3. Not genuine or natural: an artificial smile.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin artificiālis, belonging to art, from artificium, craftsmanship; see artifice.]
ar'ti·fi'ci·al'i·ty (-fĭsh'ē-āl'ĭ-tē) n., ar'ti·fi'cial·ly adv.
Synonyms: These adjectives refer to what is made by humans rather than natural in origin. Artificial is broadest in meaning and connotation: an artificial sweetener; artificial flowers.
Synthetic often implies the use of a chemical process to produce a substance that will look or function like the original, often with certain advantages: synthetic rubber; a synthetic fabric.
An ersatz product is a transparently inferior imitation: ersatz coffee; ersatz mink.
Simulated often refers to a fabricated substitute or imitation of a costlier substance: simulated diamonds.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

artificial 
c.1382, "made by man" (opposite of natural), from O.Fr. artificial, from L. artificialis "of or belonging to art," from artificium (see artifice). Another early use was in the phrase artificial day "part of the day from sunrise to sunset" (c.1386). Artificial intelligence first attested 1956.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: ar·ti·fi·cial
Function: adjective
1 a : made by humans <artificial accessions> —compare NATURAL b : caused or produced by a human and esp. social or political agency artificial price advantage>
2 : arising through operation of law —ar·ti·fi·cial·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ar·ti·fi·cial
Pronunciation: "ärt-&-'fish-&l
Function: adjective
1 : humanly contrived often on anatural model artificial limb> artificial eye> artificial heart>
2 : based on differential morphological characters notnecessarily indicative of natural relationships artificial key for identification of a group of organisms> —ar·ti·fi·cial·ly /-'fish-(&-)lE/ adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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