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The Difference Between Art and Artifice
Do great actors display artifice or art? Sometimes a bit of both. Artifice stresses creative skill or intelligence, but it also implies a sense of falseness and trickery. Art generally rises above such falseness, suggesting instead an unanalyzable creative force. Actors may rely on some of each, but the personae they display in their roles are usually artificial creations. Therein lies a lexical connection between art and artifice. Artifice comes from artificium, Latin for "artistry, craftmanship, craft, craftiness, and cunning." (That root also gave us the English word artificial.) Artificium, in turn, developed from ars, the Latin root underlying the word art (and related terms such as artist and artisan).
Examples of artifice in a Sentence
Zoe Guy, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025
And with [handheld], there’s so much artifice behind the camera.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2025
Even the visual style, which alternates between expressive closeups and passive wide shots, reflects the blend of artifice and reality.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025
On her latest single off her forthcoming sophomore album, Sabrina Teitelbaum removes any artifice surrounding her to sing a simple love song about the simplicity of her relationship.
—Stephen Daw, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for artifice
Cite this Entry
“Artifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artifice. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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