artifact

noun

Definition of artifactnext
1
as in fossil
an object made by humans and surviving from an earlier time period The site was full of Stone Age artifacts such as flint tools.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in memento
a lingering indication of something from the past The spelling of "trough" is an artifact of the way it was originally pronounced.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of artifact Levasseur notes that the museum holds a fascinating artifact used in their efforts: a cutting tool. — Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025 Visitors can see artifacts from the Jim Crow era, learn about wrongful convictions, and explore data on how racial injustice persists today. — Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 14 Mar. 2025 The original six, all Republicans, are memorialized with portraits in the first-floor Ladies' Gallery, which also displays artifacts and historical accounts of the suffrage movement. — Alissa Widman Neese, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025 After the artifacts are documented and restored, they are slated to be put on display at the Luxor Museum. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for artifact
Recent Examples of Synonyms for artifact
  1. fossil
  2. memento
  3. reminder
  4. relic
  5. echo
  6. afterimage
  7. remembrance
  8. remnant
Noun
  • If the slab does end up somewhere else, the school hopes to make a cast replica of the fossils to keep in the foyer.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
  • All of the early mammal fossils examined indicated the extinct animals had unpatterned, dark-brown coats.
    — Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of fossil
Noun
  • Another notable memento up for grabs is the first photograph of Earthrise, which is an image that shows both the Earth and part of the moon’s surface.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Now, the book is on display for anyone to view with other mementos, kept in a locked case at the library in Toms River, WPVI reported.
    — Nayeli Jaramillo-Plata, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of memento
Noun
  • For example, pressing F8 pops up a menu of Smart Modes such as Attention (fewer distractions, focus timers) and Wellness (posture reminders and eye breaks).
    — PCMAG, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Not only was that the natural way to tell the story from his perspective as a narrator, aware of the tragic events, but that was also a way to grab the audience’s attention, hence his decision as well to insert reminders of the tragedy through the voice over at various intervals.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of reminder
Noun
  • Researchers also found additional relics like stone tools made from flint and quartz, as well as animal bones displaying cut marks.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Far from being a relic or a measure in need of hasty correction, GDP remains an essential gauge of how much a society is able to produce and ultimately consume.
    — James Broughel, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of relic
Noun
  • Also, the beginning of Season 2 for me was a little bit of an echo to the beginning of Season 1 — when Mark’s walking around in the hallways the first time.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Test recordings are clear, with minimal echo and a fairly wide dynamic range.
    — PCMAG, PCMAG, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of echo
Noun
  • Fire to create an afterimage of yourself that projects a beam of light in Valorant.
    — Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The digital detectors used by the camera suffered from an issue called quantum efficiency hysteresis, or QEH—when WF/PC took an image of a bright object, there was an afterimage left behind that would mess up later observations.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of afterimage
Noun
  • Special books that Reynolds had bound were given to their authors in remembrance of her, but everything else stayed together as the Mary Reynolds Collection and was gifted to the Art Institute of Chicago (where her brother was a trustee).
    — Karen Chernick, ARTnews.com, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Choosing that day was an intentional move, delegitimizing the mourning and remembrance of the Jewish community, especially considering Israel’s military response didn’t start in earnest until Oct. 10.
    — Ellia M Torkian, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of remembrance
Noun
  • Syria violence Armed men loyal to the Syrian government carried out field executions and spoke of purifying the country, according to eyewitnesses and video, providing a gruesome picture of a crackdown against remnants of the former Assad regime that spiraled into communal killings.
    — Tricia Escobedo, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Toss outdoor pillows made with colorful fabric remnants on top to make a cozy seating area.
    — Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of remnant

Browse Nearby Words

articulations
artifact
artifacts
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“Artifact.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/artifact. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on artifact

Nglish: Translation of artifact for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about artifact

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