Religion is very personal. Practically everyone has really his own religion. Collectivity in religion is an artifice.
Source: tatoeba (1504822)
Artifice
/ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs/
Synonyms for "artifice" (249 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (50)
Noun(5 words)
actionacutenessad hoc measureadeptnessadroitnessaffectationaffectednessambidexterityansweranticartartful dodgeartfulnessartificialityastutenessbad faithbag of tricksblindbluffbosey
Verb(1 words)
Strong matches (75)
craftcraftinesscunningcunningnesscurvecurve-ballcute trickdeceitdeceitfulnessdeceptiondeep-laid plotdelusiondemarchedesigndevicedirty dealdirty trickdishonestydissimulationdodge
Show 51 more words
dodgerydouble dealingdouble-dealingdoublenessdoubleness of heartduplicityeffortengineeringeuphemismeuphuismevasionexpedientfaithlessnessfakementfalseheartednessfalsenessfast dealfeintfetchficellefinaglingfine italian handfinessefoul playfoxinessframe upframe-upfraudgambitgamegamesmanshipgimmickgongorismgooglygriftguilehocus pocushocus-pocushypereleganceimpostureimprobityimprovisationingeniousnessingenuityinsidiousnessintrigueinventivenessitalian handjokerjugglejugglery
Related words (124)
jury rigjury-rigjury-rigged expedientkeennessknaverylast expedientlast resortlast shiftlittle gamelow cunningmachiavellianismmachinationmakeshiftmaneuvermaneuveringmanipulationmannerednessmannerismmanoeuvremeans
Show 96 more words
means to an endmeasuremoveone upmanshipone-upmanshiporiginalityoverelaborationovereleganceovernicenessoverrefinementpasspettifoggerypettifoggingpis allerplayplotplottingploypratpreciositypreciousnesspretencepretentiousnessproficiencypurismquicknessracketrascalityreadinessred herringresortresourceresourcefulnessriggingrusesatanic cunningschemeschemeryschemingscurvy trickshake upshake-upsharp practicesharpnessshiftshiftinessshrewdnessskillskulduggerysleightsleight of handsleight-of-hand trickslipperinessslynesssneakinesssolutionsophistrystallstealthstealthinessstepstopgapstratagemstrategystrokestroke of policysubterfugesubtiltysubtlenesssubtletysupercheriesupplenesstactictemporary expedienttraptreacherytricktrickerytrickinesstrumptwo-facednessunderhand dealingunderhandednessunderplotunnaturalnesswarinessweb of intriguewilewileswilinesswily devicewire pullingwire-pullingwitworking hypothesisworking proposition
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ruse, action, acuteness, ad hoc measure, adeptness.
- Sentence evidence is available for artifice, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "artifice".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "artifice"
Keep "artifice" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "artifice" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "artifice", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "artifice" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
11 entriesMore specific
11 entriesCollocations
5 entriesingenious artificelinguistic artificepolitical artificerhetorical artificevisual artifice
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesSample sentences
9 total sentences available.
The language of truth must be, with no doubt, simple and without artifice.
Source: tatoeba (6130342)
Sexologists describe a gradual range between "pure" heterosexuality and "pure" homosexuality. In graphs, sexologists know that most people are situated in the middle bisexual range. The "gay-straight" artifice paradigm is reinforced by Abrahamic culture.
Source: tatoeba (10655161)
There is a widespread opinion that all study of the mode of oratory is unmanly, and leads to the substitution of artifice and adornment for simplicity and power.
Source: tatoeba (11789339)
Showing 4 of 9 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "artifice"?
Closest matches include ruse, action, acuteness, ad hoc measure, adeptness.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "artifice"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.