artefact
gb/ˈɑɹtɪfˌækt/ us/ˈɑɹtɪfˌækt/
B1
English
~ 4900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Object made by humans, of interest
An object made by people in the past, often important for history or culture.
Usage pattern:
an artefact from [time/place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'artefact' with 'artwork'; an artefact can be any man-made object of historical or cultural value, not only art.
Synonyms
object (General term; not necessarily historical or cultural)
|
relic (Often used for old or sacred objects)
Antonyms
natural object (Something that occurs in nature and was not made by humans)
Collocations
ancient artefact
|cultural artefact
|historical artefact
|museum artefact
|rare artefact
Themes
history
|culture
|archaeology
|arts_entertainment
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The museum displayed an ancient artefact from the Roman Empire.
- Scientists carefully preserved the artefact found at the dig site.
- This necklace is a rare artefact from the Bronze Age.
- The artefact was damaged during transportation.
- Each artefact tells a story about the people who made it.
Learner examples
- The museum has an old artefact.
- We saw an artefact from Egypt.
- This artefact is very old.
- The artefact is in a glass box.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
2
Unwanted distortion in data or images
A mistake or change in data, pictures, or sound caused by technology problems.
Usage pattern:
an artefact in [image/data/signal]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical meaning with historical objects; context usually clarifies which is meant.
Synonyms
distortion (General term for a change from the original form)
|
glitch (Informal term, often for temporary errors)
Antonyms
accurate data (Information without errors or distortions)
Collocations
digital artefact
|compression artefact
|image artefact
|signal artefact
Themes
technology
|science
|communication
Examples
- The photo has visible compression artefacts due to low quality settings.
- Engineers worked to reduce signal artefacts in the transmission.
- The software update fixed the graphical artefacts on the screen.
- Video artefacts appeared when the internet connection was unstable.
Learner examples
- The picture has an artefact from bad internet.
- I see an artefact in this photo.
- The sound has artefacts when I play it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
artefact
IPA
GB/ˈɑɹtɪfˌækt/
US/ˈɑɹtɪfˌækt/
Syllables & stress
arte - fact (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (arte)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: artefact
- Plural: artefacts
Word family
Forms
artefacts
noun
Core family
artifact
noun B2
Advanced or less common
artefactual
adjective
artifactual
adjective
Expressions
cultural artefact
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl ˈɑɹtɪfˌækt/
fixed phrase
Object representing a culture's traditions
An object made by people that shows something about their culture.
Examples
- This mask is a cultural artefact from West Africa.
- Language itself can be seen as a cultural artefact.
digital artefact
1/dˈɪd͡ʒɪtəl ˈɑɹtɪfˌækt/
fixed phrase
technical
Error in digital media files
A mistake or strange effect in a picture, video, or sound file caused by computer processing.
Examples
- The video stream showed many digital artefacts during playback.
- JPEG compression can cause visible digital artefacts.