synthesis
the combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity (opposed to analysis).
a complex whole formed by combining.
Chemistry. the forming or building of a more complex substance or compound from elements or simpler compounds.
Philosophy. the third stage of argument in Hegelian dialectic, which reconciles the mutually contradictory first two propositions, thesis and antithesis.
Biology. modern synthesis, a consolidation of the results of various lines of investigation from the 1920s through the 1950s that supported and reconciled the Darwinian theory of evolution and the Mendelian laws of inheritance in terms of natural selection acting on genetic variation.
Psychology, Psychiatry. the integration of traits, attitudes, and impulses to create a total personality.
Origin of synthesis
1Other words from synthesis
- syn·the·sist, noun
- non·syn·the·sis, noun, plural non·syn·the·ses.
- re·syn·the·sis, noun, plural re·syn·the·ses.
Words that may be confused with synthesis
- antithesis, synthesis , thesis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for synthesis
/ (ˈsɪnθɪsɪs) /
the process of combining objects or ideas into a complex whole: Compare analysis
the combination or whole produced by such a process
the process of producing a compound by a chemical reaction or series of reactions, usually from simpler or commonly available starting materials
linguistics the use of inflections rather than word order and function words to express the syntactic relations in a language: Compare analysis (def. 5)
philosophy archaic synthetic reasoning
philosophy
(in the writings of Kant) the unification of one concept with another not contained in it: Compare analysis (def. 7)
the final stage in the Hegelian dialectic, that resolves the contradiction between thesis and antithesis
Origin of synthesis
1Derived forms of synthesis
- synthesist, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for synthesis
[ sĭn′thĭ-sĭs ]
The formation of a chemical compound through the combination of simpler compounds or elements.
Other words from synthesis
- synthesize verb
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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