artificial
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- synthetic, man-made, manufactured, non-natural, plastic
- fake, bogus, counterfeit, imitation, mock, sham, simulated
- insincere, affected, contrived, false, feigned, forced, phoney or phony (informal), unnatural

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Antonyms: natural
Contrasted words: native, authentic, bona fide, genuine, real, sure-enough, true, veritable, sincere, spontaneous, unaffected
Related Words: fabricated, fashioned, made, fake, papier-mâché, pretend, unreal, hollow, painted, histrionic, insincere, overdone, quaint, stagy, theatrical, unnatural, cute, cutesy, goody-goody, mincing, overrefined, simpering, contrived, forced, labored

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English Thesaurus: artificial, synthetic, man-made, fake, imitation, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ar‧ti‧fi‧cial S3 /ˌɑːtəˈfɪʃəl◂, ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃəl◂ $ ˌɑːr-/ adjective [usually before noun]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: artificiel, from Latin artificialis, from artificium; ⇒ artifice]

1. not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural Synonym : false Antonym : natural:
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 Antonym : genuine:
an artificial smile
—artificially adverb:
Food prices are being kept artificially low.
—artificiality /ˌɑːtəfɪʃiˈæləti, ˌɑːtɪfɪʃiˈæləti $ ˌɑːr-/ noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

artificial
adj.
VERBS be, look, seem
ADV. highly, very | completely, entirely, totally | increasingly | a little, quite, rather, slightly, somewhat | patently a patently artificial contrivance

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

artificial

artificial light/lighting
Energy is being wasted by using artificial lighting when daylight is adequate.
artificial sweeteners (=used to make food or drink taste sweeter)
Diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners like saccharin.
artificial colours (=used in food)
I try to buy food that is free from artificial colours.
artificial flavours
Ice cream often has artificial flavours in it.
artificial additives (=used to give food more colour or taste)
Artificial additives such as colourings, sweeteners and flavour enhancers aren’t permitted in baby foods.
artificial preservatives (=used to preserve food)
This jam has no artificial preservatives.
artificial flowers
a vase of stiff-looking artificial flowers
an artificial environment
Animals hate being confined in an artificial environment.
artificial grass
artificial grass tennis courts
artificial snow
Some ski resorts use huge amounts of artificial snow.
an artificial pitch British English
The club is building a new artificial training pitch at its sports ground.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

artificial
adjective
1.
BAD: There are two artificial lakes - one for swimming and one for fishing.
GOOD: There are two man-made lakes - one for swimming and one for fishing.
BAD: The city has suffered both natural and artificial disasters.
GOOD: The city has suffered both natural and man-made disasters.

Usage Note:
artificial = not made of natural materials: 'I still prefer sugar to all those artificial sweeteners.' 'Most people look better under artificial light.'
man-made = made or caused by people, although sometimes having a natural appearance: 'This canal is the longest man-made waterway in the world.' 'It's hard to believe that these enormous caves are actually man-made.'

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2.
BAD: He managed to lose weight by eating artificial diet foods.
GOOD: He managed to lose weight by eating synthetic diet foods.
BAD: I am worried about taking artificial products into the body.
GOOD: I am worried about taking synthetic products into the body.
BAD: I never eat artificial foods.
GOOD: I never eat synthetic foods/food substitutes.

Usage Note:
synthetic = not natural but made by a chemical process: 'Many old herbal remedies have been replaced by synthetic drugs.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

artificial not real or natural, but made to look or work like something real or natural:
artificial flowers
He was given an artificial heart.
synthetic made using chemical processes rather than by natural processes:
synthetic fabrics
a synthetic version of the drug
man-made made by people – used especially about geographical features and materials:
a man-made lake
man-made fibres
fake made to look or seem like something else, especially in order to deceive people:
a fake passport
fake fur
imitation made to look like something, but not real – used especially about guns, jewellery, and leather:
imitation firearms
imitation pearls
false artificial – used especially about teeth, eyelashes, and beards:
a set of false teeth
simulated not real, but made to look, sound, or feel real, especially by means of special computers or machines:
a simulated space flight
virtual made, done, seen etc on a computer, rather than in the real world:
a virtual tour of the garden

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲