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1
a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end
- used the artifice of saying his grandmother had died so that he could get the last seat on the plane
- device,
- dodge,
- fetch,
- flimflam,
- gambit,
- gimmick,
- jig,
- juggle,
- knack,
- play,
- ploy,
- ruse,
- scheme,
- shenanigan,
- sleight,
- stratagem,
- trick,
- wile
- cheating,
- chicanery,
- cozenage,
- craft,
- crookery,
- cunning,
- deception,
- dupery,
- duplicity,
- fakery,
- jugglery,
- legerdemain,
- skulduggery
- (or skullduggery),
- subterfuge,
- swindling,
- trickery
2
skill in achieving one's ends through indirect, subtle, or underhanded means
- using their artifice, the Greeks crafted a hollow wooden horse to hide inside and thereby gained entry into the city of Troy
- artfulness,
- caginess
- (also cageyness),
- canniness,
- craft,
- craftiness,
- cunning,
- cunningness,
- deviousness,
- foxiness,
- guile,
- guilefulness,
- slickness,
- slyness,
- sneakiness,
- subtleness,
- subtlety,
- wiliness
3
subtle or imaginative ability in inventing, devising, or executing something
- a painting that could only have been created with the artifice of a master
- adeptness,
- adroitness,
- art,
- artfulness,
- artistry,
- cleverness,
- craft,
- cunning,
- deftness,
- masterfulness,
- skill,
- skillfulness
- inability,
- inadequacy,
- inadequateness,
- incapability,
- incapacity,
- incompetence,
- ineffectiveness,
- ineffectuality,
- ineffectualness,
- inefficacy,
- inefficiency
4
the inclination or practice of misleading others through lies or trickery
- a crook who is a master of artifice and manipulation
- cheating,
- cozenage,
- craft,
- craftiness,
- crookedness,
- crookery,
- cunning,
- cunningness,
- deceit,
- deceitfulness,
- deception,
- deceptiveness,
- dishonesty,
- dissembling,
- dissimulation,
- double-dealing,
- dupery,
- duplicity,
- fakery,
- foxiness,
- fraud,
- guile,
- guilefulness,
- wiliness
- chicane,
- chicanery,
- fraudulence,
- hanky-panky,
- jugglery,
- legerdemain,
- mountebankery,
- obliquity,
- skulduggery
- (or skullduggery),
- subterfuge,
- swindling,
- trickery,
- wile
5
the use of clever underhanded actions to achieve an end
- he's willing to resort to artifice to get himself out of this jam
- chicane,
- chicanery,
- gamesmanship,
- hanky-panky,
- jiggery-pokery,
- jugglery,
- legerdemain,
- skulduggery
- (or skullduggery),
- subterfuge,
- trickery,
- wile
- artfulness,
- caginess
- (also cageyness),
- craftiness,
- cunning,
- deviousness,
- foxiness,
- oiliness,
- shadiness,
- sharpness,
- shiftiness,
- shrewdness,
- slickness,
- slipperiness,
- slyness,
- sneakiness,
- treachery,
- underhandedness,
- wiliness
- crookedness,
- crookery,
- cunning,
- deceit,
- deceitfulness,
- deception,
- deceptiveness,
- dishonesty,
- dissimulation,
- double-dealing,
- dupery,
- duplicity,
- guile,
- guilefulness,
- hypocrisy,
- insincerity
Frequently Asked Questions About artifice
How is the word artifice different from other nouns like it?
Some common synonyms of artifice are feint, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, trick, and wile. While all these words mean "an indirect means to gain an end," artifice implies ingenious contrivance or invention.
the clever artifices of the stage
When would feint be a good substitute for artifice?
While in some cases nearly identical to artifice, feint implies a diversion or distraction of attention away from one's real intent.
a feint toward the enemy's left flank
When can maneuver be used instead of artifice?
While the synonyms maneuver and artifice are close in meaning, maneuver suggests adroit and skillful avoidance of difficulty.
last-minute maneuvers to avert bankruptcy
When is ruse a more appropriate choice than artifice?
The synonyms ruse and artifice are sometimes interchangeable, but ruse stresses an attempt to mislead by a false impression.
the ruses of smugglers
Where would stratagem be a reasonable alternative to artifice?
The words stratagem and artifice are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stratagem implies a ruse used to entrap, outwit, circumvent, or surprise an opponent or enemy.
the stratagem-filled game
When is it sensible to use trick instead of artifice?
The meanings of trick and artifice largely overlap; however, trick may imply deception, roguishness, illusion, and either an evil or harmless end.
the tricks of the trade
When might wile be a better fit than artifice?
The words wile and artifice can be used in similar contexts, but wile suggests an attempt to entrap or deceive with false allurements.
used all of his wiles to ingratiate himself
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Time Traveler for artifice
The first known use of artifice was in 1540
See more words from the same year