mere artifacts

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mere artifacts" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to describe objects or creations that are considered to be insignificant or of little value. Example: "The pottery fragments found at the excavation site were deemed as mere artifacts, insignificant compared to the valuable treasures that had been discovered."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Confederate symbols are more than mere artifacts.

The New York Times - Arts

These things, these mere artifacts, these youthful slops, they are not me," adding, "there is no 'author,' so-called".

The New York Times - Books

We might feel awe at hearing these voices, but very likely the recordings would be mere artifacts, overwhelmed by legend, deed and word.

The New York Times

What is true, however, is that the intense particularity and peculiarity that inspired Times Square's great mythologizers to write about the place as if it were a walled village are now mere artifacts -- nostalgia magnets.

The New York Times - Magazine

Recent research suggests discontinuities may be mere artifacts of certain research design choices.

Journal of Accounting and Economics

Previous positive findings were replicated in limited cross-sections of the data, but the overall analyses confirmed these findings to be mere artifacts of restricted comparison conditions.

Current Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

To read Julius's review, one would think that the entire Jewish people had joined Disraeli and Herzl in "normalizing" themselves, as Herzl put it, and reducing Judaism to a mere artifact of ethnic striving.

The New York Times

It's true that summer vacation is a mere artifact of the days when farming played a bigger role in our economy, but by now it's a precious artifact, with an accretion of sweet associations and a sense of possibility all its own.

The New York Times - Magazine

The scholars tell us that this concept, as we frame it, is an invention — which is not to say a mere artifact — of Shakespeare's own time, when the old sense of a soul, with an angel and a devil totting up the score on either shoulder, began giving way to the sense, more modern, of the self-made self — the self that does its own accounting, or tries to.

The New Yorker

This paper shows the reasons why the data in question have no relation to the ionic activity coefficients, which remain unknown, and are a mere artifact of the method adopted.

Chemical Engineering Science

This pattern is exhibited, though more noisily, by each of the M reconstructed Wigner functions: if it were a mere artifact of the reconstruction, its visibility would not increase by averaging over one hundred independent reconstructions.

EPJ Quantum Technology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "mere artifacts" when you want to downplay the importance or value of something, suggesting it's just a leftover or a minor detail compared to the bigger picture.

Common error

Avoid using "mere artifacts" when the objects actually hold significant historical or cultural value. Ensure your assessment of their triviality is accurate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mere artifacts" functions as a noun phrase, with "mere" modifying the noun "artifacts". It suggests that the artifacts in question are not particularly significant or important, emphasizing their relative lack of value. Ludwig examples support this interpretation.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mere artifacts" is a grammatically correct and relatively uncommon phrase used to diminish the importance of certain objects or findings. As Ludwig AI confirmed, the phrase signifies that the artifacts are considered insignificant or of little value. Analysis of various sources shows frequent usage in "News & Media" and scientific contexts. When using "mere artifacts", ensure that the objects are, in fact, of low significance and that this assessment is accurate to avoid misrepresentation. Remember that alternative phrases like "trivial objects" or "insignificant relics" can be used to express a similar meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

insignificant relics

Replaces "mere" with "insignificant" and "artifacts" with a close synonym "relics".

minor relics

Similar to "insignificant relics" but using "minor" to convey reduced importance.

trivial objects

Substitutes "mere" with "trivial" and "artifacts" with the more general term "objects".

insignificant findings

Replacing artifacts to findings.

unimportant items

Uses simpler terms to express the lack of significance.

secondary creations

Conveys that these creations are not primary or important.

byproducts of history

Shifts the focus to the idea that these artifacts are results of other processes.

negligible remnants

Indicates that the remnants are so small that are not worth to be taken into account.

simply objects

Uses "simply" to highlight the lack of special characteristics.

purely historical markers

Highlights that the objects have a historical meaning.

FAQs

How can I use "mere artifacts" in a sentence?

You can use "mere artifacts" to describe objects considered insignificant compared to something else, like: "The coins found were "mere artifacts" compared to the lost treasure."

What's a good synonym for "mere artifacts"?

Alternatives include "trivial objects", "insignificant relics", or "unimportant items", depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "mere artifacts" in formal writing?

Yes, "mere artifacts" can be used in formal writing, especially when analyzing historical or scientific data where the importance of certain findings needs to be contextualized.

What is the difference between "mere artifacts" and "historical relics"?

"Historical relics" often imply significance and historical importance, while "mere artifacts" suggest the opposite: that the objects have little value or consequence beyond their existence.