artefacts
|ar-ti-fact|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑrtəˌfækt/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːtɪˌfækt/
(artefact)
made by human skill
Etymology
'artefact' originates from Latin, specifically the phrase 'arte factum', where 'arte' (ablative of 'ars') meant 'by art/skill' and 'factum' meant 'a thing made'.
'artefact' entered English in the 19th century from the Latin phrase 'arte factum' and was adopted into modern English as 'artefact' (with the alternative US spelling 'artifact').
Initially, it referred generally to a thing made by human skill; over time it has retained this core sense but has been applied both to cultural/archaeological objects and to artificial effects in data or images.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an object made or modified by a human being, typically of cultural, historical, or archaeological interest (often displayed in museums).
The museum displayed ancient artefacts from the region.
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Noun 2
an apparent feature or result in data, images, or measurements that is caused by the method, equipment, or processing rather than by the phenomenon being studied (also called an 'artifact' in US spelling).
The bright spot in the scan was an artefact caused by the imaging equipment.
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Last updated: 2025/10/21 14:04