What does artificially mean?
"Artificially" is the adverbial form of "artificial," used to describe actions, conditions, or qualities that are produced by human intervention rather than arising naturally. It appears frequently in scientific and economic contexts — lakes are artificially stocked with fish, prices may be artificially inflated by market manipulation, and intelligence can be described as artificial when engineered by machines. In these uses the word is largely neutral, simply noting a human-made origin. When applied to human behavior, however, it often acquires a critical edge: an artificially cheerful voice or artificially warm greeting suggests insincerity or affectation. The word derives from the Latin ars, meaning skill or craft, entering English through Old French and Latin roots shared with words like artisan and artifice. Its versatility across technical and evaluative registers makes it a common and useful term in both journalism and everyday speech.
adverbIn a manner that is made or produced by human skill rather than occurring naturally; also, in a way that is affected, insincere, or contrived.
- In a manner made or produced by human skill rather than arising naturally.
- In an affected, insincere, or unnatural manner.
"The lake was artificially created in the 1930s to supply water to the city."
"The pond was artificially stocked with trout each spring."
"She smiled artificially for the cameras, betraying none of her true feelings."
Every time you say "artificially intelligent," you're using a word whose Latin root, ars, simply meant "skill" — so AI is literally "skillfully skilled."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of artificially
"Artificially" derives from the Latin artificium, meaning craftsmanship or handiwork, itself built on ars (skill) plus facere (to make). The word entered English via Old French and Middle English as part of the adjective "artificial" in the late Middle Ages, with the adverb following in early modern English. It shares its root with cognates such as artisan, artifice, and artful, all pointing back to the Latin idea of skilled making.
Related word forms
How artificially is actually used
Neutral when describing manufactured conditions (economics, science, agriculture), but carries negative connotations of falseness or pretense when applied to behavior or emotion.
Easily confused with artificially
"Artful" means clever or skillful, often with cunning connotations, whereas "artificially" describes something made by human means or lacking naturalness.