artefact
/ˈɑːtɪfakt
/(US artifact)
noun
1An object made by a human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest: gold and silver artefacts...
- The National Museum in Nairobi has collections of historical and cultural artifacts and the museum at Fort Jesus in Mombasa is dedicated to archeology and history.
- This treasury which is located inside a safe locked basement beneath the shrine contains historical artifacts, priceless manuscripts and a significant amount of gold and gems.
- The museum houses a wealth of interesting historical artifacts, including the original shop restored to its original condition.
2Something observed in a scientific investigation or experiment that is not naturally present but occurs as a result of the preparative or investigative procedure: the curvature of the surface is an artefact of the wide-angle view...
- Note that the notal cleft seen in these preparations is an artifact of the mounting procedure.
- Therefore, it is unlikely that the results presented are an artifact of presenting the stimuli fish in bottles.
- Could the observed bundling be an artifact of specimen preparation for electron microscopy?
Derivatives
artefactual
- The emphasis is on the visceral, the emotive, and the artifactual; the museum personalizes history, encouraging visitors to identify with and put themselves in the place of the victims.
- Two others exploit the artifactual conditions that people create where they build their towns and villages.
- Road to Perdition is probably too detached, too self-consciously artefactual to glamorise anything very much.
Origin
Early 19th century: from Latin arte 'by or using art' + factum 'something made' (neuter past participle of facere 'make').