1
as in unnatural
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
their artificial smiles did not make us feel very welcome
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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3
as in synthetic
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials
artificial fruit made from wax
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4
as in nonnatural
produced by humans rather than natural processes
I find that artificial sweeteners often have an odd aftertaste
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of artificial
Gatorade launches Lower Sugar line of drinks This week, Gatorade announced a new sports drink lineup with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or colors, and with 75% less sugar than the brand's Thirst Quencher electrolyte drinks.
—
Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
While connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygen machine — which serves as a life-support system that acts as an artificial heart and lung — since Monday, the machine was responsible for 85% of the blood being pumped through his body.
—Rick Cantu, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Ciena’s stock has soared more than 350% over the past year thanks to the demand for artificial-intelligence data centers.
—Michelle Fox,pia Singh,darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Without the natural voice, there could never have been an artificial one.
—Charles Yu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for artificial
Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
While connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygen machine — which serves as a life-support system that acts as an artificial heart and lung — since Monday, the machine was responsible for 85% of the blood being pumped through his body.
—Rick Cantu, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
Ciena’s stock has soared more than 350% over the past year thanks to the demand for artificial-intelligence data centers.
—Michelle Fox,pia Singh,darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
Without the natural voice, there could never have been an artificial one.
—Charles Yu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for artificial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artificial
Adjective
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When forty children remained quiet for an extended period, the world took on an eerie quality—natural or unnatural, who could say, but glorious all the same.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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Synthetic audio can sound unnatural or inconsistent.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Police listed multiple flags to watch out for, including Irish and British accents, saying many of the members are part of international rings of foreign nationals using fake business names.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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However, the best part of this entire charade was not Devens hiding a fake idol at Tribal Council.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Franklin’s work follows a 2025 Consumer Reports study, which made the rounds on social media last year after finding carcinogens in 10 synthetic braiding hair extensions.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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That is in part, experts say, because newer, synthetic materials are less likely to bleed than the natural fibers that made up most of our clothes in the past.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With Powell missing his third straight game because of a strained right groin, the Heat went with the starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Herro, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins and Adebayo for the third consecutive game.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
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The White House pledge for tech companies responds to fears of what data center buildouts mean for everyday Americans’ strained wallets.—
Eric Schmidt,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The cancerous tissue contained on average more than double the amount of plastic as healthy prostate tissue samples, the study found.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
1 Mar. 2026
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Crucially, however, there is another view onto Bove’s sculpture beyond the double illusionism of its oblique materialism and front-facing near-pictorialism.—
Gordon Hughes,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Michaels also added new Real Touch faux florals and UV-resistant greenery for indoor and outdoor decor.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Mar. 2026
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Fort Lauderdale commissioners said yes to the faux grass Tuesday night, reversing an earlier ruling by the city’s Historic Preservation Board.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Lo and behold, the signal for the mock galaxy was just as strong as the signal for CDG-2 was, even when the globular clusters were masked completely away.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Mar. 2026
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With that in mind and a week of intel collected, here’s The Denver Post’s second stab at a Broncos mock draft.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Artificial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artificial. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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