polysynthetic

[ pol-ee-sin-thet-ik ]
/ ˌpɒl i sɪnˈθɛt ɪk /

adjective

(of a language) characterized by a prevalence of relatively long words containing a large number of affixes to express syntactic relationships and meanings. Many American Indian languages are polysynthetic.Compare analytic(def 3), synthetic(def 3).
of or relating to polysynthesism.

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CAN YOU FEEL THE WEAL WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ?

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weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the intervening time.
a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
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Sometimes pol·y·syn·thet·i·cal.

Origin of polysynthetic

1795–1805; < Late Greek polysýnthet(os) much compounded + -ic. See poly-, synthetic

Words nearby polysynthetic

polysymbrachydactyly, polysynaptic, polysyndactyly, polysyndeton, polysynthesism, polysynthetic, polytechnic, polytendinitis, polytene, polytene chromosome, polytetrafluoroethylene
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for polysynthetic

British Dictionary definitions for polysynthetic

polysynthetic
/ (ˌpɒlɪsɪnˈθɛtɪk) /

adjective

denoting languages, such as Inuktitut, in which single words may express the meaning of whole phrases or clauses by virtue of multiple affixesCompare synthetic (def. 3), analytic (def. 3), agglutinative (def. 2)

Derived forms of polysynthetic

polysynthesis (ˌpɒlɪˈsɪnθɪsɪs), nounpolysynthesism, nounpolysynthetically, adverb
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