artifice

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ar=ti=fice

CIDE DICTIONARY

artifice, n. [L. artificium, fr. artifex artificer; ars, artis, art + facere to make: cf. F. artifice.].

•  A handicraft; a trade; art of making.  [1913 Webster]
•  Workmanship; a skillfully contrived work.  [1913 Webster]

  "The material universe . . . in the artifice of God, the artifice of the best Mechanist."  [1913 Webster]
•  Artful or skillful contrivance.  [1913 Webster]

  "His [Congreve's] plots were constructed without much artifice."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

artifice, n.
1 a clever device; a contrivance.
2 a cunning. b an instance of this.
3 skill, dexterity.

Etymology

F f. L artificium f. ars artis art, -ficium making f. facere make

THESAURUS

artifice

Gongorism, Italian hand, Machiavellianism, action, acuteness, ad hoc measure, adeptness, adroitness, affectation, affectedness, ambidexterity, answer, art, artful dodge, artfulness, artificiality, astuteness, bad faith, bag of tricks, blind, bluff, bosey, cabal, cageyness, callidity, canniness, catch, chicane, chicanery, chouse, cleverness, collusion, complicity, complot, confederacy, connivance, connivery, conspiracy, contrivance, contriving, countermove, counterplot, coup, course of action, covin, craft, craftiness, cunning, cunningness, curve, curve-ball, cute trick, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, deep-laid plot, demarche, design, device, dirty deal, dirty trick, dishonesty, dissimulation, dodge, dodgery, double-dealing, doubleness, doubleness of heart, duplicity, effort, engineering, euphemism, euphuism, expedient, faithlessness, fakement, falseheartedness, falseness, fast deal, feint, fetch, ficelle, finagling, fine Italian hand, finesse, foul play, foxiness, frame-up, gambit, game, gamesmanship, gimmick, googly, grift, guile, hocus-pocus, hyperelegance, improbity, improvisation, ingeniousness, ingenuity, insidiousness, intrigue, inventiveness, joker, juggle, jugglery, jury-rig, jury-rigged expedient, keenness, knavery, last expedient, last resort, last shift, little game, low cunning, machination, makeshift, maneuver, maneuvering, manipulation, manneredness, mannerism, means, measure, move, one-upmanship, originality, overelaboration, overelegance, overniceness, overrefinement, pass, pettifoggery, pettifogging, pis aller, plot, plotting, ploy, preciosity, preciousness, pretentiousness, proficiency, purism, quickness, racket, rascality, readiness, red herring, resort, resource, resourcefulness, rigging, ruse, satanic cunning, scheme, schemery, scheming, scurvy trick, shake-up, sharp practice, sharpness, shift, shiftiness, shrewdness, skill, skulduggery, sleight, sleight of hand, sleight-of-hand trick, slipperiness, slyness, sneakiness, solution, sophistry, stealth, stealthiness, step, stopgap, stratagem, strategy, stroke, stroke of policy, subterfuge, subtilty, subtleness, subtlety, supercherie, suppleness, tactic, temporary expedient, treachery, trick, trickery, trickiness, trump, two-facedness, underhand dealing, underhandedness, underplot, unnaturalness, wariness, web of intrigue, wile, wiles, wiliness, wily device, wire-pulling, wit, working hypothesis, working proposition

ROGET THESAURUS

artifice

Plan

N plan, scheme, design, project, proposal, proposition, suggestion, resolution, motion, precaution, deep- laid plan, system, organization, germ, sketch, skeleton, outline, draught, draft, ebauche, brouillon, rough cast, rough draft, draught copy, copy, proof, revise, drawing, scheme, schematic, graphic, chart, flow chart (representation), forecast, program, programme, prospectus, carte du pays, card, bill, protocol, order of the day, list of agenda, bill of fare, base of operations, platform, plank, slate, ticket, role, policy, contrivance, invention, expedient, receipt, nostrum, artifice, device, pipelaying, stratagem, trick, alternative, loophole, shift, last shift, measure, step, stroke, stroke of policy, master stroke, trump card, court card, cheval de bataille, great gun, coup, coup d'etat, clever stroke, bold stroke, good move, good hit, good stroke, bright thought, bright idea, intrigue, cabal, plot, conspiracy, complot, machination, subplot, underplot, counterplot, schemer, schemist, schematist, strategist, machinator, projector, artist, promoter, designer, conspirator, intrigant, planned, strategic, strategical, planning, prepared, in course of preparation, under consideration, on the tapis, on the carpet, on the floor.

Cunning

N cunning, craft, cunningness, craftiness, subtlety, artificiality, maneuvering, temporization, circumvention, chicane, chicanery, sharp practice, knavery, jugglery, concealment, guile, doubling, duplicity, foul play, diplomacy, politics, Machiavelism, jobbery, backstairs influence, art, artifice, device, machination, plot, maneuver, stratagem, dodge, sidestep, artful dodge, wile, trick, trickery, ruse, ruse de guerre, finesse, side blow, thin end of the wedge, shift, go by, subterfuge, evasion, white lie, juggle, tour de force, tricks of the trade, tricks upon travelers, espieglerie, net, trap, Ulysses, Machiavel, sly boots, fox, reynard, Scotchman, Jew, Yankee, intriguer, intrigant, floater, Indian giver, keener, repeater, cunning, crafty, artful, skillful, subtle, feline, vulpine, cunning as a fox, cunning as a serpent, deep, deep laid, profound, designing, contriving, intriguing, strategic, diplomatic, politic, Machiavelian, timeserving, artificial, tricky, tricksy, wily, sly, slim, insidious, stealthy, underhand, subdolous, deceitful, slippery as an eel, evasive, crooked, arch, pawky, shrewd, acute, sharp, sharp as a tack, sharp as a needle, canny, astute, leery, knowing, up to snuff, too clever by half, not to be caught with chaff, tactful, diplomatic, politic, polite, cunningly, slyly, slily, on the sly, by a side wind, diamond cut diamond, a' bis ou a blanc, fin contre fin, something is rotten in the state of Denmark.