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artefact

British  
/ ˈɑːtɪˌfækt /

noun

  1. something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest

  2. anything man-made, such as a spurious experimental result

  3. cytology a structure seen in tissue after death, fixation, staining, etc, that is not normally present in the living tissue

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of artefact

C19: from Latin phrase arte factum, from ars skill + facere to make

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The iconic red brick building which houses Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum contains thousands of artefacts - from a full sized elephant beneath a spitfire to Salvador Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross.

From BBC

The resolution also calls for cultural artefacts stolen during the colonial era to be returned to their countries of origin.

From BBC

Turkey has stepped up efforts to combat illicit antiquities trading and in 2025 alone secured the repatriation of 180 cultural artefacts.

From Barron's

The return is part of a wider French effort to repatriate African cultural artefacts, a process that began in 2017.

From BBC

The Geisel Library at the University of California, San Diego is home to artefacts from throughout Seuss's life - including a notebook from his time at Lincoln.

From BBC