artificielle

Artificielle is the feminine singular form of the French adjective artificiel, used to describe something produced by human intervention rather than occurring in nature. The term comes from Latin artificialis, from ars (art) and facere (to make). It is commonly used across science, industry, and daily language to distinguish objects, materials, processes, and ideas that are man-made from those that are natural.

In practical use, the adjective appears in phrases such as matière artificielle, produit artificiel, or prothèse artificielle, referring to materials or devices engineered or manufactured by humans. The concept is central in discussions of technology, architecture, textile production, and food science, where artificial materials and additives are contrasted with natural equivalents. The phrase intelligence artificielle, used to translate artificial intelligence, denotes a field of computer science focused on systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.

In philosophy and ethics, artificiality raises questions about what counts as life, agency, or autonomy when created by humans, as in debates about artifice, synthetic biology, and artificial life. The distinction between artificiel and naturel also informs legal and regulatory frameworks concerning safety, labeling, and consumer information.

In everyday language, artificielle helps distinguish man-made variants across domains such as materials, devices, technologies, and culture, reflecting a long-standing effort to classify the origins of what humans create.