artifice

noun
UK: /ˈɑːtɪfɪs/
US: /ˈɑːrtɪfɪs/

  1. A clever trick or something intended to deceive.

    1. Her tears were an artifice to gain sympathy. [ ] [ ]
    2. The elaborate artifice of the con man fooled many people into investing their savings. [ ] [ ]

  2. The quality of being artificial or not natural.

    1. The artifice in her smile was easy to see. [ ] [ ]
    2. We could detect the artifice of his speech, as he clearly tried to impress the audience. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

trickery deception ruse stratagem guile pretense

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "artifice" in English means: A clever trick or something intended to deceive., The quality of being artificial or not natural..

The phonetic transcription of "artifice" is /ˈɑːtɪfɪs/ in British English and /ˈɑːrtɪfɪs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "artifice": trickery, deception, ruse, stratagem, guile, pretense.

Example usage of "artifice": "Her tears were an artifice to gain sympathy.". More examples on the page.