1
as in unnatural
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
their artificial smiles did not make us feel very welcome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
the familiar sight of the award winner accepting the artificial congratulations of the other nominees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
artificial fruit made from wax
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in nonnatural
produced by humans rather than natural processes
I find that artificial sweeteners often have an odd aftertaste
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 artificial
The first experiment featured an artificial flower placed above a pit in the floor so that there was insufficient space for a bee to hover to reach the flower.
—
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
In the center, the team placed an artificial blue flower containing a sugary solution and let the bees explore it.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
In fact, one quite successful muskie artificial lure is fashioned of fur in the shape of a small muskrat, and has a black soft-plastic tail.
—Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
Two adjacent mini-pitches with professional-grade artificial turf, a financial education learning center, and other space for community events, comprise Southie’s Visa Street Soccer USA Park – a hub of energy within the West Broadway Boston Housing Authority development.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for artificial
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
In the center, the team placed an artificial blue flower containing a sugary solution and let the bees explore it.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
In fact, one quite successful muskie artificial lure is fashioned of fur in the shape of a small muskrat, and has a black soft-plastic tail.
—Byron W. Dalrymple, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026
Two adjacent mini-pitches with professional-grade artificial turf, a financial education learning center, and other space for community events, comprise Southie’s Visa Street Soccer USA Park – a hub of energy within the West Broadway Boston Housing Authority development.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for artificial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artificial
Adjective
-
According to Paul Penrose, a detective sergeant assigned to the case, Nickell’s body was found on its back, in an unnatural position.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2026
-
The robots that looked highly realistic but fell short, leaving an unnatural sensation that they could not be trusted.—
Praful Saklani,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
In the show, shy Briar U music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and cocky team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) begin fake-dating to try to catch the attention of Hannah’s crush.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
-
The schemes involve the use of fake court documents regarding false traffic and criminal infractions.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The system has been trained on a large database of more than 5,000 laser designs collected from Jeanologia’s archive, together with synthetic datasets generated with the firm’s design software, eDesigner.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
-
The company is developing synthetic hard-carbon materials derived from resin and coal, aiming to lower costs and strengthen domestic supply chains.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Last year, Hernández played in just one rehab game returning from a strained groin.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Large parts of its war effort are now unmanned, the robots, drones, and remotely piloted tanks giving it a sudden, albeit fragile, edge over a lumbering and strained Russian invader.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Frenetic winds robbed Wilyer Abreu of a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth, but Willson Contreras’ subsequent line drive made contact with the left-field wall for a game-tying RBI double and knocked Schlittler out of the game.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
-
On Friday, tech stocks led a market bloodbath after the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report showed employers added a net 172,000 jobs last month, nearly double Wall Street forecasts.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Everyone in the community center put down their faux salads to stare at us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The store offers an extensive botanical shop and with a large assortment of both faux and dried botanicals for DIY arrangements or on-site styling help from an expert.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
His mock draft range has been all over the place, from the lottery to Denver’s territory.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
Look for mock-meat dishes built around tofu and seitan — including bánh mì chay made with tofu — along with fresh spring rolls and phở chay, typically made with mushrooms in place of beef or chicken.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artificial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artificial. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
