a. Also 5 artyficiall, -fyciall, -fycyall, artificialle, -fyciall, -ficyall, 5–7 artificiall. [a. F. artificiel (14th c. in Littré), ad. L. artificiāl-is, f. artificium: see ARTIFICE and -AL.]
I. Opposed to natural.
1. Made by or resulting from art or artifice; contrived, compassed, or brought about by constructive skill, and not spontaneously; not natural. a. Artificial in result, as well as in process.
c. 1382. Wyclif, Matt., Add. Prol. Not as bi naturel order, bot bi artificial ordre.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. xxviii. Bawme naturall That ran through pipes artyfyciall.
1563. Hyll, Arte Garden. (1593), 154. In my litle treatise of Natural and artificial conclusions.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und. An artificial thing being a production of Man, which the Artificer designed.
1753. Hogarth, Anal. Beauty, 3. The elegant and beautiful in artificial, as well as natural forms.
1756. Burke, Vind. Nat. Soc., Wks. 1842, I. 19. A state of artificial society.
1825. McCulloch, Pol. Econ. II. § 5. 193. To give an artificial stimulus to population.
1837. Howitt, Rur. Life (1862), I. vii. 73. A garden … is an artificial thing … though formed from the materials of nature.
b. Of natural products or results artificially produced. (In contrast to the next, these are real, though artificial.)
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., III. ii. 184. I can … wet my Cheekes with artificiall Teares.
1648. C. Walker, Relat. & Obs., I. 45. Many suspected his death was artificiall.
1834. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), III. 75. Those very men have seen their wives and children perish with artificial hunger.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. § 24. 353. Harrison’s … machine for the production of artificial ice.
1879. Harlan, Eyesight, vi. 71. Use the stronger glasses in artificial light only, and the old pair in daytime.
2. Made by art in imitation of, or as substitute for, what is natural or real. (These are not real.)
1577. Harrison, England, III. ix. 80. If the colour hold … the stone is thought to be naturall and good: but if it alter … then it is not sound, but rather an artificiall [peece of] practise.
1611. Rowland, Four Knaves, 22. An artificiall flie of silk.
1655. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., xlvi. How to make an artificial Bird to fly.
1684. Lond. Gaz., mdcccclxx/4. Art of Drawing and Cleansing natural and setting in Artificial Teeth.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. i. 31. It can walk by the help of an artificial leg.
1753. Smollett, Ct. Fathom (1784), 122/2. A knot of artificial flowers.
1867. F. Francis, Angling, vi. (1880), 190. A list of artificial flies.
3. Merely made up; factitious; hence, feigned, fictitious. (Cf. 1593 in 1 b.)
c. 1650. Cowley, To his Majesty, Wks. 1710, II. 577. The Artificial Joy’s drown’d by the Natural.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. i. 730. Washes As artificial as their faces.
1719. Young, Revenge, II. i. To elaborate An artificial happiness from pains.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 21, ¶ 8. Endeavour to kindle in myself an artificial impatience.
1865. Lecky, Rational. (1878), I. 319. Religion … became an artificial thing of relics and ceremonies.
4. Not natural in manners, affected.
1598. Barckley, Felic. Man (1631), 327. Artificiall apes, counterfeiting a formall kinde of strangers civilitie.
1679. Stillingfl., Serm. Whitehall, 7 March, 15. Hence the most artificial men have found it necessary to put on a guise of simplicity and plainness.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. vi. (1865), 271. What if it is the nature of some men to be highly artificial?
1849. Robertson, Serm., Ser. I. ii. (1866), 20. Some will have become frivolous and artificial.
5. In various phrases, opposed to natural.
† Artificial day (obs.): the period during which the sun is above the horizon. Artificial year (= civil year): the period from one new year’s day to another (now 365 or 366 even days), as distinguished from the actual time taken by the earth in its annual revolution. Artificial globe: a globe having a map of the world delineated on its surface, and revolving on an axis within rings representing the horizon and meridian. Artificial horizon: a level reflecting surface, such as that of a fluid at rest, or a mirror laid horizontally on the earth’s surface, used in taking altitudes. Artificial grasses: such as do not grow spontaneously in the locality, but are sown. Artificial lines: lines on a sector representing the logarithmic sines and tangents. Artificial numbers: logarithms. Artificial system or classification (in Nat. Hist.): a system which does not seek to embrace all natural affinities, but chiefly to serve as a key to the identification of species.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Lawes Prol., 2. The brighte sonne The arke of his artificial day hath i-ronne The fourthe part. Ibid. (c. 1391), Astrol., II. § 7. To knowe the arch of the day, that some folk kallen the day artificial.
1432–50. trans. Higden (1865), I. 377. The clergy … ȝiffenge attendaunce to preier and to abstinence by the day artificialle, spendenge the nyȝhtes in surfettes and in ryette.
1631. R. Byfield, Doctr. Sabb., 142. To take the fourth commandement to bee understood of an artificiall day and not of a naturall.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geogr. Del., I. vii. 161. The artificiall Globe is an expression or imitation of the Spheare of the Earth.
1704. Hearne, Ductor Hist. (1714), I. 3. The Artificial or Civil Year now used, was invented by the Emperor Julius Cæsar.
1833. Sir J. Herschel, Astron., ii. 91. The reflecting surface of a fluid so used for the determination of the altitudes of objects is called an artificial horizon.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. ii. 17. In the absence of artificial grasses, natural meadow was exceedingly valuable.
† II. Displaying special art or skill. (All Obs.)
† 6. Displaying much skill; a. of things: Skilfully made or contrived. Obs.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, ii. 14. To destroye soo artyfycyall a werke.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clvi. 145. An horologe or a clocke … of a wonder artyficiall makyng.
1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 55. Things made of feathers verie curious, straunge, and artificiall.
1655. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., lxxxviii. A Brazen or Stone-head … so artificial and natural, that … it will presently open its mouth, and resolve the question.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. v. 875. A most artificial Coutrivance of Nature … to hinder the regurgitation of the Fæces.
1738. J. Keill, Anim. Econ., Pref. 10. The artificial and elegant structure of the eye.
† b. of persons: Skilled in constructive art, skilful. Obs.
1541. Barnes, Wks. (1573), 342/2. A conning and an artificyall grauer.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 553. They are very artificiall in making of images.
1682. Norris, Hierocles, 2. God who was the most artificial framer of the Universe.
† 7. Displaying education or training, scholarly.
1618. Latham, 2nd Bk. Falconry (1633), 38. His Hawke hath hardly beene taught one good qualitie or artificiall condition.
a. 1614. Donne, Βιαθανατος (1644), 23. Scholastique and artificiall men use this way of instructing.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 62 a. Not … understood of euerie unlearned mans reason, but of artificiall and legal reason.
† 8. Displaying technical skill; workmanlike.
1656. H. Phillips, Purch. Patt. (1676), 23. The best and most artificial way to make these Tables, is to find certain numbers in continual proportion decreasing.
† 9. Displaying artifice; artful, cunning, deceitful. (Said of men and their actions.) Obs.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Mark vi. (R.). [They] would for the … setting forthe of themselfes make vnto the people an artificial oracion or sermon.
1649. Milton, Eikon., Wks. 1738, I. 376. This is the artificialest piece of finesse to perswade Men to be Slaves, that the wit of Court could have invented.
1656. W. Montague, Accompl. Wom., 105. Excessive praises which artificiall men offer.
1702. Eng. Theophr., 91. The great ones have a Trick as artificial to excuse themselves.
† III. Of or pertaining to art. (All Obs.).
† 10. According to the rules of art.
1528. Paynell, Salerne Reg., P b. It is not artificial to eate them [peas] in the huskes (for the nature of that within and the huskes) disagree.
1609. Douland, Ornithop. Microl., 39. Rests … are of equall value with the Notes, and are measured with artificiall Silence.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Artificial music, that which is according to the rules of art; or executed by instruments invented by art.
† 11. Pertaining to practical art; technical. Obs.
1660. Stanley, Hist. Philos. Speech is of five kinds. Artificial, used by Tradesmen in their several Professions.
1739. Chesterf., Lett., 49. I. 150. Technical … from the Greek word τέχνη, which signifies Art, and τεχνικός, which signifies Artificial.
1809. Christian, in Blackstone’s Comm., II. 381. He knew their artificial import and signification.
B. as sb. [the adj. used absol. in pl.] Artificial things; products of art.
1611. Guillim, Heraldry, IV. xiii. 222. Such Artificials as are in vse amongst men of Militarie Profession.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 69. Animalls, vegetables, inanimates, mineralls, artificialls: [etc.].
1743. Lond. & Country Brewer, II. i. (ed. 2), 87. Malt, like many other Artificials, is most genuine, when it is nearest to its Original Nature.
