Word
artifice
Phoneticsar·ti·fice, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɑɹtəfɪs/
UK/ˈɑːtɪfɪs/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a clever trick or plan that fools people. You use this when someone hides the truth to get what they want.
n. clever or cunning deception intended to mislead, often through carefully crafted words or actions. Contrasts with natural simplicity or honest plainness.
Examples
“He wins votes with charm, not artifice.”
“The seller hides the car's flaws with artifice, praising the paint while avoiding talk of the engine.”
“The memoir strips away artifice to show the author's doubts, revealing how much of his public confidence was carefully staged.”
Examples
simple
“He wins votes with charm, not artifice.”
contextual
“The seller hides the car's flaws with artifice, praising the paint while avoiding talk of the engine.”
complex
“The memoir strips away artifice to show the author's doubts, revealing how much of his public confidence was carefully staged.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “artifice” in context.
Verb
01. artifice conceals
“Such artifice conceals a determined attempt to manipulate opinion.”
noun + verb
02. artifice deceives
“The artifice deceived even experienced financial analysts.”
noun + verb
03. artifice fails
“In the end, the artifice failed and the truth emerged.”
noun + verb
04. employ artifice
“He employed artifice to conceal the company's true debts.”
verb + noun
05. expose artifice
“The investigation exposed the artifice behind the charity appeal.”
verb + noun
06. resort to artifice
“Rather than admit failure, the minister resorted to artifice.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
07. clever artifice
“His alibi was a clever artifice designed to mislead the police.”
adj + noun
08. elaborate artifice
“The fraud was an elaborate artifice involving fake documents.”
adj + noun
09. literary artifice
“Critics praised the novel despite its obvious literary artifice.”
adj + noun
10. mere artifice
“The promise of fast profits was mere artifice to attract investors.”
adj + noun
Noun
11. lack of artifice
“Her direct manner and lack of artifice won the jury's trust.”
noun + prep + noun
12. completely devoid of artifice
“His apology seemed sincere and completely devoid of artifice.”
Real-World Examples
“The artifice required to generate authentic-seeming masculinity was all too evident.” “Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, is a man who transcends the artifice of the celebrity reality documentary.” “Sterling is drawing a line between magic and power; she’s saying they’re both fundamentally the same thing: an illusion, a world maintained through artifice.” “There’s no artifice to Scott’s deeply felt performance despite being an actor playing an actor playing a character, he makes it all feel as real and as raw as it can be.” Etymology
From Middle French artifice, from Latin artificium.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/artifice