Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: artificiel, from Latin artificialis, from artificium; ARTIFICE

artificial

 adjective
     
ar‧ti‧fi‧cial S3 [usually before noun]
1 not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural [≠ natural; = false]:
artificial flowers
artificial light
artificial fertilizers
2 an artificial situation or quality exists because someone has made it exist, and not because it is really necessary:
artificial distinctions
artificial barriers of gender and race
3 artificial behaviour is not sincere - used to show disapproval [≠ genuine]:
an artificial smile
—artificially adverb:
Food prices are being kept artificially low.
—artificiality noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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