artificially formal; "that artificial humility that her husband hated"; "contrived coyness"; "a stilted letter of acknowledgment"; "when people try to correct their speech they develop a stilted pronunciation"
contrived by art rather than nature; "artificial flowers"; "artificial flavoring"; "an artificial diamond"; "artificial fibers"; "artificial sweeteners"
not arising from natural growth or characterized by vital processes
(used of persons and their behavior) cultivated and genteel; "she was delicate and refined and unused to hardship"; "refined people with refined taste"
freed from impurities by processing; "refined sugar"; "refined oil"; "to gild refined gold"- Shakespeare
serenely self-possessed and free from agitation especially in times of stress; "the performer seemed completely composed as she stepped onto the stage"; "I felt calm and more composed than I had in a long time"
made up of individual elements; "if perception is seen as composed of isolated sense data..."
get or cause to become in a difficult or laborious manner
obtain by coercion or intimidation; "They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss"; "They squeezed money from the owner of the business by threatening him"
have recourse to or make an appeal or request for help or information to; "She called on her Representative to help her"; "She turned to her relatives for help"
accepted as real or true without proof; "an assumed increase in population"; "the assumed reason for his absence"; "assumptive beliefs"; "his loyalty was taken for granted"
adopted in order to deceive; "an assumed name"; "an assumed cheerfulness"; "a fictitious address"; "fictive sympathy"; "a pretended interest"; "a put-on childish voice"; "sham modesty"
taken as your right without justification; "was hearing evidence in an assumed capacity"; "Congress's arrogated powers over domains hitherto belonging to the states"