What does artificialness mean?
"Artificialness" is a noun denoting the quality or state of being artificial — that is, of being made by human skill rather than arising naturally, or of seeming contrived and insincere rather than genuine. It is formed transparently from the adjective "artificial" plus the common suffix "-ness," which converts adjectives into abstract nouns naming qualities. In practice, the word is relatively uncommon: writers overwhelmingly prefer its near-twin "artificiality," which carries the same meaning in a slightly more formal register. When it does appear, "artificialness" tends to carry negative connotations, whether describing the synthetic character of a material or flavor ("the artificialness of the sweetener") or the strained, affected quality of someone's behavior ("the artificialness of his politeness"). Its antonyms include naturalness, authenticity, and genuineness. For readers and writers, then, "artificialness" is a perfectly legitimate word worth recognizing, though choosing "artificiality" usually sounds more polished.
nounThe quality or state of being artificial; the degree to which something lacks naturalness or genuineness. It is a less common alternative to "artificiality."
- The quality or state of being made by human skill rather than occurring naturally.
- The quality of being insincere, affected, or lacking genuineness in manner or expression.
"Critics complained that the film's sets had an air of artificialness that undermined its realism."
"The artificialness of the flavoring was unmistakable the moment she tasted the drink."
"He winced at the artificialness of her greeting, which felt rehearsed rather than warm."
The plural is theoretically possible but virtually never used, as abstract qualities of this kind are normally treated as uncountable.
"Rarely encountered; one would more naturally rephrase than pluralize the term."
English has two ways to name fakeness — and the plain old -ness version, artificialness, lost out so completely to 'artificiality' that most dictionaries barely mention it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of artificialness
"Artificialness" derives from the adjective "artificial," which entered English in late Middle English from Old French "artificiel," ultimately from Latin "artificialis," meaning 'made by art or skill,' from "ars" (genitive "artis"), meaning 'skill' or 'craft.' The suffix "-ness" is a native Germanic element used since Old English to form abstract nouns of quality. Cognates sharing the Latin root "ars" include "artifice," "artisan," and "artifact." The exact date "artificialness" first appeared in English is uncertain, but formations of this kind became widespread in the early modern period.
Related word forms
How artificialness is actually used
"Artificialness" is comparatively rare and somewhat informal-sounding; in careful writing, "artificiality" is usually preferred. It carries mildly negative connotations, implying a lack of authenticity.
Easily confused with artificialness
"Artificiality" is the standard, far more common noun for the quality of being artificial, while "artificialness" is a rarer synonym built with the everyday -ness suffix.