A clever trick, stratagem, or deceptive device; or skillful, usually deceptive, management or execution.
From Latin 'artificium' (skilled work, trick), from 'artifex' (skilled maker). Originally meaning craft or skill, it evolved to emphasize the deceptive aspects of clever manipulation.
The word 'artifice' traveled from Roman respect for craftsmanship to meaning deception—showing how 'skillful' work became associated with trickery once people realized the same cleverness could fool you.
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