artificiale

Artificiale is an Italian adjective meaning artificial, man-made, or contrived. It describes things created by human design, synthesis, or fabrication rather than occurring in nature. The term appears in everyday speech as well as in scientific, technical, and artistic contexts, where it often signals deliberate imitation or construction.

Etymology and usage. Artificiale derives from Latin artificialis, from ars (craft, art) and facere (to make). In Italian, it is used across disciplines to denote non-natural origin, from objects and materials to processes and systems. It typically contrasts with naturale (natural) and is distinct from artigianale, which usually emphasizes traditional handmade craftsmanship rather than synthetic production.

Contexts and examples. In science and technology, artificiale forms part of many standard terms, such as intelligenza artificiale (artificial intelligence), protesi artificiale (artificial prosthesis), and materiali artificiali (artificial materials). In biology and medicine, selezione artificiale refers to human-guided breeding or modification, as opposed to selezione naturale. In everyday language, one might refer to cibo artificiale (artificial food), lighting artificiale (artificial lighting), or altri prodotti artificiali. The nuance often hinges on whether human design or synthesis is the primary characteristic, or whether imitation of a natural form is involved.

See also. The concept of artificiality intersects with ethics, philosophy of science, and debates about the boundary between natural and engineered systems, with common related terms including artificial intelligence, artificial life, and artificial materials.