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Is there any usage preference between artifact and artefact?

My understanding was that an artifact was properly applied to physical, historical objects, while an artefact was more correct for more abstract, intangible, error-ish concepts, for example a compression artefact.

However, the couple of online sources I checked suggested that the difference was merely spelling, and that both were usable for both definitions.

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4 Answers

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The only usage preference I'm aware of is that artefact is preferred in British English and artifact is preferred in US English, but that both are acceptable in either case.

See the Oxford Dictionary, for example.

Personally, I tend to mix them the same way you do: I collect artifacts in Tomb Raider and my compressed photos have artefacts!

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As a USian, I must say "artefact" looks like a blunder, and it would certainly jump out at me, distracting me from whatever the author is saying. – GEdgar Aug 14 '11 at 17:05
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As a Frenchian, I must say "artifact" looks like a blunder, and it would certainly not jump out at me :-) – Stéphane Gimenez Aug 14 '11 at 17:14
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Seems to be an artifact of two countries separated by one language! – Andrew Grimm Aug 14 '11 at 23:41
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Offtopic: While on the topic of spelling differences that don't really exist: as someone who grew up in India with British spelling, but with computers that used American spelling, I think of people having dialogues but programs having dialog boxes. In fact, I didn't realise for many years that the "dialog" in "dialog box" was related to "dialogue" at all. Similarly for me, an "analogue" is something comparable, which bears an analogy, while "analog" is the opposite of "digital". – ShreevatsaR Aug 15 '11 at 7:09
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To continue the @ShreevatsaR's offtopic, even in the UK dialog is the correct technical spelling when referring to a "dialog box". To use the dialogue spelling marks one as not being technically competent (or being deliberately awkward!) I suspect this is purely because of the number of US code libraries we use... – SteveM Aug 15 '11 at 12:28
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up vote -1 down vote

Well, an error from image compression is certainly not the same thing as a pottery shard from ancient Babylon — so there may be value in using two different spellings when we have two different intended meanings. I would vote for these words as homophones, not geographic or regional spellings.

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This is not an answer to the question. It is a comment. – tchrist Apr 6 at 23:47
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You are right. There is a slight difference in meaning, and Wiktionary makes a note:

There may be some value to distinguishing "artifact" (a man-made tool or object) from "artefact" (an false signal in data caused by the processing).

Or, in better terms, but the Science Dictionary:

Artifact: An object produced or shaped by human craft, especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or historical interest.

Artefact: An artificial product or effect observed in a natural system, especially one introduced by the technology used in scientific investigation or by experimental error.

But they are generally used to mean "an archaelogical find".

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This is how I've always used them. – Nick Bedford Dec 1 '11 at 2:31
@Thursagen Strange that art**e**fact is an art**i**ficial product. My ancient Chambers dictionary (last update 1972) does not make a distinction in meaning, merely lists them as alternative spellings, from the Latin arte (by art) and factum (made). Compare artifice, which comes from the same root, which you never see spelled as art**e**fice. Artefact is also used as a medical term for minor brain damage, which I guess fits with the definition "a false signal in data caused by the processing". – Mynamite Apr 7 at 13:14
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Strange. According to my Korean dictionary, there is difference between them. And they are similar to the difference of definition you suggested.

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Would you care to elaborate? Otherwise, this really ought to be a comment. – KitFox♦ Aug 15 '11 at 12:05

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