Meaning

adjective contrived by art rather than nature

adjective artificially formal

adjective not arising from natural growth or characterized by vital processes

originFrom Middle English artificial (“man-made”) via Old French (modern French artificiel), from Latin artificiālis from artificium (“skill”), from artifex, from ars (“skill”), and -fex, from facere (“to make”). Displaced native Old English cræftlīċ.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0