artifactual

ar·ti·fact

also ar·te·fact A0441600 (är′tə-făkt′)n.1. An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest.2. Something viewed as a product of human conception or agency rather than an inherent element: "Morality is an artifact of human culture, devised to help us negotiate social relations" (Michael Pollan).3. A phenomenon or feature not originally present or expected and caused by an interfering external agent, action, or process, as an unwanted feature in a microscopic specimen after fixation, in a digitally reproduced image, or in a digital audio recording.4. 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.

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[Latin arte, ablative of ars, art; see art¹ + factum, something made (from neuter past participle of facere, to make; see dhē- in Indo-European roots).]

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ar′ti·fac′tu·al (-făk′cho͝o-əl) adj.

artifactual

(ˌɑːtɪˈfæktʃʊəl) adj a variant of artefactual

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

artifactual - of or relating to artifacts artefactual