Posticcio

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Artificial or synthetic in nature, often describing something that is not genuine or real
2. pertaining to materials or features that are added for aesthetic purposes rather than authenticity
3. serving as a substitute or imitation rather than an original item

Etymology: Something "posticcio" is added on afterward, so the idea of being false or fake grows out of the idea of being behind. The Italian word comes from Latin "posticius," which meant "at the back," itself from "posticus" and "post," "behind" or "after." A thing set on behind or later is not part of the original, so the sense shifted toward artificial or substitute. French borrowed the Italian form as "postiche," and in that language it came to mean a false hairpiece, the kind worn to add bulk or cover a bald patch. The same logic applies: the piece is fastened on from outside, not grown from the head.

Synonyms: improvised, makeshift, ad hoc

Antonyms: planned, deliberate, premeditated