Wiktionary gives both senses for artless. These words change sense over time, too. For instance, it’s my impression that once upon a time, saying that a person’s work was “artificial” was a compliment, meaning that it showed great skill (artifice). Today it would imply that it was inauthentic, contrived, or a surface imitation.
Wiktionary gives both senses for artless. These words change sense over time, too. For instance, it’s my impression that once upon a time, saying that a person’s work was “artificial” was a compliment, meaning that it showed great skill (artifice). Today it would imply that it was inauthentic, contrived, or a surface imitation.