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Artifice
//ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs// noun, verb
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A crafty but underhanded deception. countable, uncountable
"The notion that consequence can be as easily managed as PR is the ultimate artifice and the ultimate delusion."
- 2 a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture) wordnet
- 3 A trick played out as an ingenious, but artful, ruse. countable, uncountable
"The heightened worlds of darkly comedic satire and soapy high-school romance make it easy enough to roll with unrealistic casting choices—and that goes for stage musicals, too, where some level of artifice is built into the format."
- 4 A strategic maneuver that uses some clever means to avoid detection or capture. countable, uncountable
- 5 A tactical move to gain advantage. countable, uncountable
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- 6 Something made with technical skill; a contrivance. archaic, countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To construct by means of skill or specialised art
"The Creator has so cunningly endowed our bodies that there is no labor to be done, no skill in artificing or fashioning the metals, that is beyond our reach."
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French artifice, from Latin artificium.
Etymology 2
From Middle French artifice, from Latin artificium.
See also for "artifice"
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