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The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for September 20, 1999
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artifice [n. AR-tuh-fis]
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If someone displays artifice, they are either being cleverly
ingenious or cleverly devious. The two meanings shade into each
other, making this a tricky word. Example: "Harriet's sewing skills
were more artifice than actual talent, as customers discovered when
their shirts began to fall apart."
In its best sense, this word implies a kind of artful genius, but in
its worst sense, the person showing artifice is a complete fraud, who
would only fool a casual observer. Which is it? The context
(surrounding words and sentences) usually gives a clue to the
specific meaning.
This word came through Old French from Latin artificium
(craftsmanship), based on ars- (art) and -fex (maker). From the same
roots, an artificer [n. ar-TIF-ih-sur] is a skilled craftsman or a
deceptive trickster, depending on the context.
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