synergistic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, characteristic of, or resembling synergy.
a synergistic effect.
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Chemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology. acting as a synergist; producing synergism; interacting.
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Theology. of or relating to theological synergism or synergists.
adjective
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acting together
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(of people, groups, or companies) working together in a creative, innovative, and productive manner
Usage
What does synergistic mean? Synergistic is used to describe things that produce, result from, or otherwise involve synergy. The word synergy refers to when an interaction of elements produces an effect that is greater than the effect that would have resulted from simply adding up the effects of each individual element.In other words, synergy is what happens when a combination of things produces an effect or result that is said to be “greater than the sum of its parts.”When you combine things—chemicals, ingredients, people—you often expect these things to interact in a certain way based on what has been included. But when something extra happens, something greater, this is synergy. Describing something as synergistic implies that the magic is in the combination, as opposed to in the individual elements themselves.Synergistic can be used to describe a combination that produces such an effect or things that work together in this way. It’s often used generally to describe things that work well together. A food critic might say that a particular dish is delicious due to its synergistic mixture of ingredients. A synergistic approach is one that incorporates different elements or groups to work together.Synergy is also used in a more specific way in the context of medicine to refer to the cooperation of multiple body parts, such as muscles or nerves. It can also refer to the interaction of drugs or other stimuli. The things that cooperate in this way can be called synergists and their actions or effects can be described as synergistic.Less common synonyms for synergistic include synergic and synergetic.Example: The synergistic cooperation between these departments has led to great success.
Other Word Forms
- synergistically adverb
Etymology
Origin of synergistic
First recorded in 1810–20; synerg(ism) or synerg(ist) + -istic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Would the two have a synergistic effect on inflammation?
From Seattle Times
Emergency and trauma medicine have advanced due to these synergistic environments, she said.
From Seattle Times
On Jan. 6, right-wing conspiracy theories and other delusional ideas came together in a type of synergistic disaster in the form of the Trump regime's attempted coup and the attack on the U.S.
From Salon
Inside the Apple ecosystem, you expect that the trade you’re making for only using Apple devices is getting synergistic integrations like this.
From The Verge
“It is going to be a synergistic relationship,” Collins told the Senate panel.
From Science Magazine
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
