artifact

noun

ar·​ti·​fact ˈär-ti-ˌfakt How to pronounce artifact (audio)
Synonyms of artifactnext
1
a
: a usually simple object (such as a tool or ornament) showing human workmanship or modification as distinguished from a natural object
especially : an object remaining from a particular period
caves containing prehistoric artifacts
b
: something characteristic of or resulting from a particular human institution, period, trend, or individual
… morality is an artifact of human culture, devised to help us negotiate social relations.—Michael Pollan
c
: something or someone arising from or associated with an earlier time especially when regarded as no longer appropriate, relevant, or important
… that over-simplified but eloquent quality that keeps Jefferson alive for us while Washington and Adams, his superiors in so many other respects, are artifacts of a quaint and lost world.—Jack Rakove
2
a
: a product of artificial character (as in a scientific test) due usually to extraneous (such as human) agency
b
: an electrocardiographic and electroencephalographic wave that arises from sources other than the heart or brain
c
: a defect in an image (such as a digital photograph) that appears as a result of the technology and methods used to create and process the image
… can produce a very good picture, but there will be some loss of detail and some color artifacts such as adjacent colors bleeding into each other.—Consumer Reports
artifactual
ˌär-ti-ˈfak-chə(-wə)l How to pronounce artifact (audio)
-ˈfak-shwəl
-chü-əl
adjective

Did you know?

One of the things that make humans unique is their ability to make and use tools, and ever since the first rough stone axes began to appear about 700,000 years ago, human cultures have left behind artifacts from which we've tried to draw a picture of their everyday life. The roots of artifact mean basically "something made with skill;" thus, a mere stone that was used for pounding isn't an artifact, since it wasn't shaped by humans for its purpose—unlike a ram's horn that was polished and given a brass mouthpiece and was blown as part of a religious ritual.

Examples of artifact in a Sentence

The caves contained many prehistoric artifacts. an artifact from the Colonial period
Recent Examples on the Web Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old jade dragon artifact while excavating a burial mound in northeastern China. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024 Museum unveils artifacts from century-old time capsule A World War I Museum in Kansas City excavated a century-old time capsule, revealing a cornucopia of early 20th-century relics, artifacts and documents. —Alexandra Banner, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024 Wisconsin museums must comply with new federal rule about certain tribal artifacts Thomas-Bear and other members of her tribe are serving as consultants on the project, as is William Quackenbush, the tribal historic preservation officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin, and his tribe. —Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2024 Starfield sets you up as a humble space miner who comes in contact with a mysterious artifact that is linked to others and a universe-changing prophecy. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for artifact 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'artifact.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin arte factus "made by human agency," from Latin arte "by skill or craft" (ablative of art-, ars "acquired skill, craftmanship") + factus, past participle of facere "to make, bring about, do" — more at art entry 1, fact

Note: The usual American spelling artifact—opposed to artefact in the British Isles and elsewhere—shows assimilation to Latin compounds with arti- (see artifice).

First Known Use

1644, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of artifact was in 1644

Dictionary Entries Near artifact

articulus

artifact

artifactitious

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Artifact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artifact. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

artifact

noun
ar·​ti·​fact ˈärt-i-ˌfakt How to pronounce artifact (audio)
: a usually simple object (as a tool or ornament) showing human work and representing a culture or a stage in the development of a culture

Medical Definition

artifact

noun
ar·​ti·​fact
variants or chiefly British artefact
ˈärt-ə-ˌfakt How to pronounce artifact (audio)
1
: a product of artificial character due to extraneous (as human) agency
specifically : a product or formation in a microscopic preparation of a fixed tissue or cell that is caused by manipulation or reagents and is not indicative of actual structural relationships
2
: an electrocardiographic and electroencephalographic wave that arises from sources other than the heart or brain
artifactual adjective
or chiefly British artefactual
ˌärt-ə-ˈfak-chə(-wə)l, -ˈfaksh-wəl How to pronounce artifact (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

What does 'at large' mean?

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-hard-hat-hammer
Odd Jobs Quiz Work smarter, not harder, to figure out these occ...