artificial

modif.

1. Said of things

   synthetic, unreal, counterfeit, spurious, ersatz, fake, manufactured, man-made, imitation, mock, simulated, substitute, false, sham, fabricated, contrived, unnatural, plastic, pseudo, bogus, fictitious, make-believe, phony*; see also false 3.

   Antonyms natural, genuine*, real. *

2. Said of conduct

   mannered, unnatural, feigned; see affected 2, 3.

artificial is applied to anything made by human work, esp. if in imitation of something natural artificial hair; synthetic is applied to a substance that is produced by chemical synthesis and is used as a substitute for a natural substance which it resembles synthetic dyes; ersatz, which refers to an artificial substitute, always implies an inferior substance ersatz coffee made from chicory; counterfeit and spurious are applied to a careful imitation deliberately intended to deceive counterfeit money, a spurious signature