artifact
AR-tih-fakt
/ˈɑːrtɪfækt/
An object made by a human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest.
Emphasizes human workmanship, distinguishing it from natural objects like fossils or raw minerals (which are specimens, not artifacts).
The story behind the word. From the Latin phrase arte factum, where ars (skill, art) and facere (to make) combine to mean 'something made with skill'. It entered English in the early 19th century as archaeological science began to formalize.
Word relationships
- relic: A relic is an object surviving from an earlier time, often with religious or sentimental value, whereas an artifact is any human-made object of historical interest.
- natural specimen: A natural specimen is an object from nature (like a shell or rock) that has not been modified by human hands.
Commonly confused with
- fossil: A fossil is the preserved remains of a prehistoric organism, while an artifact is an object created or modified by human activity.
Word family
- artifactual (adjective): Relating to or characteristic of an artifact.
Collocations
- ancient artifact
- cultural artifact
- historical artifact
- unearth an artifact
Example sentences
- "The museum acquired an ancient clay artifact that proved the existence of an early trading post." Archaeological discovery
Memory hook
An artifact is a piece of 'art' that is 'factually' made by human hands. Made with human skill.
When not to use
Do not use for a purely natural object, like an uncarved stone or a dinosaur bone.
Fun facts
- In computer science and digital imaging, an 'artifact' refers to an unwanted visual anomaly or error caused by digital processing—a modern 'human-made' glitch!
Related words
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