ar·ti·fact also
ar·te·fact 
(är
t
-f
kt
)
KEY NOUN:
- An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest.
- Something viewed as a product of human conception or agency rather than an inherent element: "The very act of looking at a naked model was an artifact of male supremacy" (Philip Weiss).
- A structure or feature not normally present but visible as a result of an external agent or action, such as one seen in a microscopic specimen after fixation, or in an image produced by radiology or electrocardiography.
- An inaccurate observation, effect, or result, especially one resulting from the technology used in scientific investigation or from experimental error: The apparent pattern in the data was an artifact of the collection method.
ETYMOLOGY:Latin
arte, ablative of
ars,
art ; see
art1 +
factum,
something made (from neuter past participle of
facere,
to make; see
dh
- in Indo-European roots)
OTHER FORMS:arti·factu·al (-f
k
ch
-
l)
KEY (Adjective)
