artifact

ar·ti·fact

noun \ˈär-ti-ˌfakt\

Definition of ARTIFACT

1

a : something created by humans usually for a practical purpose; especially : an object remaining from a particular period <caves containing prehistoric artifacts> b : something characteristic of or resulting from a particular human institution, period, trend, or individual <self-consciousness … turns out to be an artifact of our education system — Times Literary Supplement>

2

: a product of artificial character (as in a scientific test) due usually to extraneous (as human) agency

— ar·ti·fac·tu·al \ˌär-ti-ˈfak-chə(-wə)l, -ˈfak-shwəl, -chü-əl\ adjective

Examples of ARTIFACT

1. The caves contained many prehistoric artifacts.
2. an artifact from the Colonial period

Origin of ARTIFACT

Latin arte by skill (abl. of art-, ars skill) + factum, neuter of factus, past participle of facere to do — more at arm, do

First Known Use: 1821

Other Archaeology Terms

Attic, Byzantine, Paleolithic, cairn, core, flint, horizon, neolithic, shard, stratum

Rhymes with ARTIFACT

abreact, cataract, chain-react, counteract, cross-react, eye contact, inexact, interact, overact, precontact, razor-backed, reenact, riot act, subcompact, subcontract, tesseract, underact, vacuum-packed, ventifact