yapay

Yapay is a Turkish adjective meaning artificial, synthetic, or man-made. It is used to describe things produced by humans or by technology rather than occurring naturally, and it appears widely in compound terms such as yapay zeka (artificial intelligence), yapay tatlandırıcı (artificial sweetener), and yapay organ (artificial organ). The term is common in science, industry, media, and everyday language to distinguish natural from artificial forms.

Etymology and usage notes: Yapay is derived from the Turkish verb yapmak, meaning “to make” or “to do,” with a derivational pattern that forms an adjective indicating something made or fabricated. The word has gained prominence alongside advances in technology and synthetic products, and is used across various domains from marketing to academic discourse.

Common phrases and contexts: In contemporary Turkish, yapay zeka is perhaps the best-known usage, referring to computer systems that simulate aspects of human intelligence. Other frequent compounds include yapay tatlandırıcı (artificial sweetener), yapay malzeme (synthetic material), and yapay doğal olmayan bir örnek gibi kullanılarak bağlamdan bağımsız olarak “artificial” anlamını taşır. Opposing term doğal, meaning natural, is often used to contrast with yapay.

See also: artificial intelligence in Turkish; synthetic materials.