artifact

noun

Definition of artifactnext
1
as in fossil
an object made by humans and surviving from an earlier time period The site was full of Stone Age artifacts such as flint tools.

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2
as in memento
a lingering indication of something from the past The spelling of "trough" is an artifact of the way it was originally pronounced.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of artifact Cabins away from the main house are rustic but comfortable, with Audubon prints, Native American artifacts, and William Morris wallpaper. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026 And the same guy who uses this home to stream with Lil Baby and to display art and artifacts dedicated to his family. — Rembert Browne, Architectural Digest, 2 Nov. 2026 Outer space outfits Some of the gallery’s artifacts include a space shuttle main engine, Robonaut 1A (a prototype humanoid robot), and an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuit. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026 The artifact could be worth a five- or six-figure sum in British pounds, the news agency reported. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for artifact
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifact
  1. fossil
  2. memento
  3. relic
  4. reminder
  5. echo
  6. afterimage
  7. remembrance
  8. remnant
Noun
  • Claims of prehistoric chemistry persisting in fossils aren’t new.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Like several other important fossils previously sold at auction, Jodi comes from Hell Creek Formation, a geological boneyard stretching across Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of fossil
Noun
  • Bacall wore the bracelet in her daily life, carrying with her that small memento of the film that marked the beginning of her relationship with Bogart.
    — Filippo Iarocci, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Archaeologists led by Erkan Fidan of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University discovered the memento about 100 miles south of Istanbul at a site known as Tavşanlı Höyük.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of memento
Noun
  • The results on Tuesday also rendered the Cybertruck an instant relic.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But they would eventually be seen as a relic of the bygone days when Mexicans ruled — days that gringos imagined would never return.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of relic
Noun
  • The steep descent into the canyon is a reminder that the effort needed to reach these shrines has always been a part of the devotion.
    — Avantika Chaturvedi, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The backdrop of each Chiefs practice summons an aesthetic reminder of the best seasons in franchise history.
    — Sam McDowell November 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of reminder
Noun
  • There's a button to connect the speaker to others in the ULT party speaker line, a stereo-pair button, a button to manage lighting, an echo button, and a key control for karaoke.
    — Christian de Looper, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In the case of the imminent Major League Baseball lockout, even an untrained ear may detect an echo of the 1994 fiasco in this latest impasse between the ownership class and labor.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of echo
Noun
  • Those truths come together in a series of ands and buts, which layer upon and contradict each other, like the afterimages of Tullock in Stefania Bulbarella’s video design.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
  • That trailing effect isn’t a smear on its own, but their blades also leave afterimages, duplicate smears, along their path through space.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2025
Definition of afterimage
Noun
  • What readers are saying The conversation explores the themes of remembrance and the ways different countries honor their war dead, particularly focusing on the UK's Remembrance Day.
    — Tom Tugendhat, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But for many, the exhibition appeared off-color, especially because the Met Gala next year falls on Yom HaShoah, the day of Holocaust remembrance in Israel.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of remembrance
Noun
  • The damage comes only a year after intense October 2025 flooding, driven by the remnants of Pacific cyclones.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Still, the wreck’s most famous remnant is the brass combination lock still in working condition after four centuries buried in sand.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of remnant

Browse Nearby Words

articulations
artifact
artifacts
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Cite this Entry

“Artifact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifact. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about artifact

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