The word "artificial" is spelled /ɑːtɪfɪʃəl/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The first syllable, "art," is pronounced with a long "a" sound, followed by the consonant blend "rt." The second syllable, "i," is pronounced with a short "i" sound, followed by the consonant "f." The final syllable, "-cial," is pronounced with an "sh" sound for the "c" and a long "e" sound for the "i." Therefore, the complete pronunciation is "ahr-tuh-fish-uhl."
Artificial, in its most basic sense, refers to something that is not naturally occurring or genuine, but is produced by human intervention or design. It is derived from the Latin word "artificialis," which means made by art or skill.
In a broader context, artificial can also describe something that is created to imitate or resemble nature or real objects, often with the intention of enhancing or improving upon their natural counterparts. This can be seen in various fields, such as artificial intelligence, where machines are programmed to imitate human cognitive processes, or in the creation of artificial organs or limbs to replace damaged or missing body parts.
Additionally, artificial can refer to something that is contrived, fabricated, or made up, often with the intention of deceiving or misleading. This can be applied to artificial colors or flavors in food products, where synthetic substances are used to mimic natural ones. Similarly, artificial can be used to describe emotions or behaviors that are not genuine or authentic, but are displayed for a specific purpose or effect.
In summary, whether describing something that is man-made, designed to imitate nature, or contrived for a specific purpose, artificial signifies a departure from the natural or genuine, indicating that it has been created or altered by human intervention.
Not natural, manufactured; made in imitation of nature.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Made by art; not produced by nature.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "artificial" originated from the Latin term "artificialis", which is derived from the Latin word "artificium". "Artificium" combines the words "ars" meaning "art" or "skill" and "facere" meaning "to make" or "to do". Therefore, "artificial" initially referred to something that was made or done skillfully, often involving human intervention or ingenuity. Over time, the meaning evolved to encompass things that are not natural or are synthetically produced.