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 In Kanab, Utah, the Moqui Cave museum showcases a massive collection of Native American artifacts, including pottery and arrowheads. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026 Months later, archaeologists announced the discovery of a Roman-era marble bathtub and other ancient artifacts in Ephesus. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 The exhibit also includes artifacts; real items that come directly from Amsterdam. — Marie Saavedra, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026 Santoro also thinks the AI bot could be used to aid in the repatriation of Indigenous art and artifacts in American and European museums to their communities of origin. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 31 July 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
  • Its bas-relief forms appear encapsulated in rock crystal, like fossils frozen in amber.
    — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Ultimate Dinosaur exhibit, presented by the Science Museum of Minnesota, will allow guests to view real Minnesota fossils.
    — Aki Nace, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of fossil
Noun
  • Available in pastel pink, neutral beige and classic black colorways, the Speedcat Etoile debuts with a new campaign featuring the Blackpink member in a scene surrounded by youthful nostalgia and personal mementos that shaped her childhood.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 28 July 2026
  • Some people have decorated the entrance to their tents with potted plants, flowers, and family mementos.
    — Julimar Valentina Rivas Perez, NBC news, 24 July 2026
Definition of memento
Noun
  • One relic from the 1960s was likely written when the couple worked under Theodor Geisel at Beginner Books.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The theft of a relic of the Prophet Muhammad from the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, in Kashmir, in 1963 sets off riots in distant Khulna, Dhaka, and Calcutta.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of relic
Noun
  • Those moments are sobering reminders of just how thin the margins are for the Phillies rotation, which has been excellent for the most part, though extremely top-heavy.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • While tensions have ramped up between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia in recent days, here’s a reminder of the latest developments in the conflict between the US and Iran.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of reminder
Noun
  • Denis sees echoes of that survival strategy in the behavior of Haitians in South Florida and elsewhere across the United States, where many have withdrawn from public view.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The tit-for-tat brings up echoes of last year, when the rivals were locked in a blistering trade war.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 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
  • In many ways, the film is both a celebration and an act of remembrance.
    — JD Linville, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The remembrance of Husayn’s martyrdom reminds Shiites about the teachings of the prophet and his family.
    — Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of remembrance
Noun
  • Dazed but also smiling, the remnant no doubt of a megalomania that ran unchallenged for too long.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Three of Neptune's moons might have been born from the remnants of ancient icy worlds shattered by Neptune's largest moon, Triton, a new study finds.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 3 Aug. 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 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on artifact

Nglish: Translation of artifact for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about artifact

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