polysynthetic

[ pol-ee-sin-thet-ik ]

/ ˌpɒl i sɪnˈθɛt ɪk /

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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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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

polysyllable, polysyllogism, polysynaptic, polysyndeton, polysynthesism, polysynthetic, polytechnic, polytene, polytene chromosome, polytetrafluoroethylene, polytheism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use polysynthetic in a sentence

A polysynthetic language illustrates no principles that are not already exemplified in the more familiar synthetic languages.
Language|Edward Sapir
Polysynthet′icism, Polysyn′thetism, the character of being polysynthetic.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
This polysynthetic character undoubtedly does point to a common origin, just as the Indo-European tongues trace back to Sanskrit.
Through the Mackenzie Basin|Charles Mair
They may also be crossed by bars or stripes, each of which indicates a twin plate, for the crystals are usually polysynthetic.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 6|Various

The general character in this respect has caused the term Polysynthetic to be applied to the American languages.
Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation|Robert Chambers

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