artifice
|ar-ti-fice|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑːrtəfɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːtɪfɪs/
skilled making; cunning trick
Etymology
'artifice' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'artificium', where 'ars' (or the stem 'art-') meant 'skill, art' and 'facere' meant 'to make'.
'artifice' passed into Old French as 'artifice' and then into Middle English as 'artifice', eventually becoming the modern English word 'artifice'.
Initially, it meant 'skill, workmanship, a product of skill,' but over time it also came to mean 'a cunning device or trick' (deceptive cleverness).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a clever or cunning device or expedient, especially used to trick or deceive; a stratagem or ruse.
She saw through his charm and exposed the artifice behind his compliments.
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Noun 2
skill or ingenuity in creating or devising something; craftsmanship or cleverness of design.
The film's special effects relied on technical artifice to create convincing illusions.
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Last updated: 2025/10/24 01:48