# artificial

/ˌɑɹtəˈfɪʃəɫ/ (US) · /ˌɑːtɪfˈɪʃəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/artificial
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. man-made

adjective · CEFR B1

made by people rather than occurring naturally.

For teachers: produced by human art or effort rather than occurring naturally; synthetic or manufactured.

- The park has an artificial lake that was built in the 1990s.
- The research team developed an artificial skin that can detect changes in temperature and pressure, mimicking human touch.

### 2. insincere

adjective · CEFR B2

not sincere or natural; forced.

For teachers: lacking in sincerity or spontaneity; feigned or forced for social effect.

- He gave an artificial smile when he saw his rival enter the room.
- Her laughter sounded somewhat artificial, suggesting she was merely trying to appear polite during the awkward dinner party.

### 3. arbitrary or non-natural

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

created by a rule or system rather than by nature.

For teachers: imposed by human intervention or convention rather than arising from inherent properties.

- The division between the two neighborhoods is an artificial one created by the new highway.
- Economists argue that the price floor is an artificial barrier that prevents the market from reaching a natural equilibrium.

## Examples

- These flowers are artificial but they look very real.
- The new office building uses artificial light because there are very few windows in the center of the floor.
- While the lake appears natural to the casual observer, it is actually an artificial reservoir created during the damming of the valley in the late nineteenth century.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.