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artifice

noun
ar·​ti·​fice | \ ˈär-tÉ™-fÉ™s How to pronounce artifice (audio) \

Definition of artifice

1a : clever or artful skill : ingenuity … believing that characters had to be created from within rather than with artifice.— Garson Kanin
b : an ingenious device or expedient
2a : an artful stratagem : trick … revising the state's constitution through a series of legal stratagems and artifices …— W. Haywood Burns
b : false or insincere behavior social artifice
Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Difference Between Art and Artifice More Example Sentences Learn More about artifice

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Choose the Right Synonym for artifice

trick, ruse, stratagem, maneuver, artifice, wile, feint mean an indirect means to gain an end. trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end. the tricks of the trade ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression. the ruses of smugglers stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy. the stratagem-filled game maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty. last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention. the clever artifices of the stage wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements. used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent. a feint toward the enemy's left flank

art, skill, cunning, artifice, craft mean the faculty of executing well what one has devised. art implies a personal, unanalyzable creative power. the art of choosing the right word skill stresses technical knowledge and proficiency. the skill of a glassblower cunning suggests ingenuity and subtlety in devising, inventing, or executing. a mystery plotted with great cunning artifice suggests technical skill especially in imitating things in nature. believed realism in film could be achieved only by artifice craft may imply expertness in workmanship. the craft of a master goldsmith

The Difference Between Art and Artifice

Do great actors display artifice or art? Sometimes a bit of both. Artifice stresses creative skill or intelligence, but also implies a sense of falseness and trickery. Art generally rises above such falseness, suggesting instead an unanalyzable creative force. Actors may rely on some of each, but the personae they display in their roles are usually artificial creations. Therein lies a lexical connection between art and artifice. Artifice derives from artificium, Latin for artifice (that root also gave English artificial). Artificium in turn developed from ars, the Latin root underlying the word art (and related terms such as artist and artisan).

Examples of artifice in a Sentence

He spoke without artifice or pretense. The whole story was just an artifice to win our sympathy.

Recent Examples on the Web

 The manufactured-as-real performance of influencers, the occasional manicured artifice of their work, was gone. — Jason Parham, WIRED, "When Influencers Switch Platforms—and Bare It All," 19 Aug. 2019 Grotowski argued for a stripping away of artifice in favor of putting the actor and their performance at the center of the theatrical experience. — Manuel Mendoza, Dallas News, "There was none better than Katherine Owens, whose brilliant career at Undermain Theatre ends at 61," 23 July 2019 Pedro Javier Aguila Muniz, 27, was charged on suspicion of fraudulent schemes and artifices/practices, fraudulent use of a credit card, forgery, theft of a credit card and unauthorized access of criminal history. — Chelsea Curtis, azcentral, "Arizona DPS trooper accused of defrauding agency," 11 July 2019 Jodie will satirize workplace culture, Gen Z struggles, the artifice of social media and more. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Sure, Daria Was Great, But Tracee Ellis Ross' Jodie Is Bound To Be Better," 15 June 2019 That constant renewal gives the town a look of freshness or Stepford-like artifice, depending on your point of view. — Julie Lasky, New York Times, "Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Quiet and Neat as a Pin," 20 June 2018 This device, like the elaborate language in Stella Fortuna, draws attention to the artifice involved in the stories the Blumenthals tell themselves. — Rachael Allen, The Atlantic, "Reconstructing the Memories of Aging Matriarchs," 1 Aug. 2019 That’s not to say Hazan’s mix of artifice and reality using Hockney’s actual friends and colleagues isn’t noticeable. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Portrait of David Hockney as a young artist in the mesmerizing ‘A Bigger Splash’," 17 July 2019 Ironically, the characters’ verisimilitude only draws attention to the artifice of the narrative. — Nora Mcgreevy, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Lion King’ remake offers a muffled roar," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'artifice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of artifice

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for artifice

Middle French, from Latin artificium, from artific-, artifex artificer, from Latin art-, ars + facere — see artifact

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More Definitions for artifice

artifice

noun
How to pronounce artifice (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of artifice

: dishonest or insincere behavior or speech that is meant to deceive someone

See the full definition for artifice in the English Language Learners Dictionary

artifice

noun
ar·​ti·​fice | \ ˈär-tÉ™-fÉ™s How to pronounce artifice (audio) \

Kids Definition of artifice

: a clever trick or device She used every artifice to avoid work.

artifice

noun
ar·​ti·​fice | \ ˈär-tÉ™-fÉ™s How to pronounce artifice (audio) \

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