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- DictionaryAr·ti·fice/ˈärdəfəs/
noun
- 1. clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive others: "the style is not free from the artifices of the period"
noun [ C or U ] formal us / ˈɑːr.t̬ə.fɪs / uk / ˈɑː.tɪ.fɪs / Add to word list. (the use of) a clever trick or something intended to deceive: Amazingly for Hollywood, she seems almost entirely without artifice. Synonym. ruse. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Lies, lying & hypocrisy. a pack of lies idiom. bad faith. black is white idiom.
6 days ago · 5 meanings: 1. a clever expedient; ingenious stratagem 2. crafty or subtle deception 3. skill; cleverness 4. a skilfully.... Click for more definitions.
Before taking on its current meaning, artifice meant a skilled piece of workmanship. A beautiful diamond bracelet might have been considered a piece of artifice, for example; now it would only be called artifice if the diamonds were fake. Definitions of artifice. noun.
1. An indirect, usually cunning means of gaining an end: deception, device, dodge, feint, gimmick, imposture, jig, maneuver, ploy, ruse, sleight, stratagem, subterfuge, trick, wile. Informal: shenanigan, take-in. 2. Deceitful cleverness: art, artfulness, craft, craftiness, cunning, foxiness, guile, slyness, wiliness.
Definition of artifice noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun artifice, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Something contrived or made up to achieve an end, especially by deceiving; a stratagem or ruse. American Heritage. A clever expedient. Webster's New World. Cleverness or ingenuity in making or doing something; art or skill. American Heritage. More Noun Definitions (7) Synonyms: connivery. schemery. dodgery. ficelle. supercherie. underplot. ruse.
