ARTIFICIAL


Meaning of ARTIFICIAL in English

adjective

1

BAD : There are two artificial lakes - one for swimming and one for fishing.

GOOD : There are two man-made lakes - one for swimming and one for fishing.

BAD : The city has suffered both natural and artificial disasters.

GOOD : The city has suffered both natural and man-made disasters.

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artificial = not made of natural materials: 'I still prefer sugar to all those artificial sweeteners.' 'Most people look better under artificial light.'

man-made = made or caused by people, although sometimes having a natural appearance: 'This canal is the longest man-made waterway in the world.' 'It's hard to believe that these enormous caves are actually man-made.'

2

BAD : He managed to lose weight by eating artificial diet foods.

GOOD : He managed to lose weight by eating synthetic diet foods.

BAD : I am worried about taking artificial products into the body.

GOOD : I am worried about taking synthetic products into the body.

BAD : I never eat artificial foods.

GOOD : I never eat synthetic foods/food substitutes.

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synthetic = not natural but made by a chemical process: 'Many old herbal remedies have been replaced by synthetic drugs.'

Longman Common Errors English vocabulary.      Английский словарь распространенных ошибок Longman.