synthesis

American  

[sin-thuh-sis] / ˈsɪn θə sɪs /

noun

plural

syntheses

1. the combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity (opposed to analysis).

2. a complex whole formed by combining.

3. Chemistry. the forming or building of a more complex substance or compound from elements or simpler compounds.

4. Philosophy. the third stage of argument in Hegelian dialectic, which reconciles the mutually contradictory first two propositions, thesis and antithesis.

5. 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.

6. Psychology, Psychiatry. the integration of traits, attitudes, and impulses to create a total personality.

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synthesis British  

/ ˈsɪnθɪsɪs /

noun

1. the process of combining objects or ideas into a complex whole Compare analysis

2. the combination or whole produced by such a process

3. the process of producing a compound by a chemical reaction or series of reactions, usually from simpler or commonly available starting materials

4. linguistics the use of inflections rather than word order and function words to express the syntactic relations in a language Compare analysis

5. archaic philosophy synthetic reasoning

6. philosophy

   1. (in the writings of Kant) the unification of one concept with another not contained in it Compare analysis

   2. the final stage in the Hegelian dialectic, that resolves the contradiction between thesis and antithesis

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synthesis Scientific  

/ sĭn′thĭ-sĭs /

plural

syntheses

1. The formation of a chemical compound through the combination of simpler compounds or elements.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsynthesis
  noun
• resynthesis
  noun
• synthesist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of synthesis

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin, from Greek sýnthesis, from syn- syn- + the- (stem of tithénai “to put, place”) + -sis -sis

Explanation

Synthesis is the act of combining elements to form something new. If you describe your bedroom decor as a synthesis of vintage and punk, we'll know you mean a mixture of these two styles. Synthesis can be either concrete or abstract. Scientists use the word to talk about what happens when chemicals combine — think of photosynthesis: the process by which plants synthesize light, carbon dioxide, and water to produce food. If you write a screenplay titled Batman Saves Jane Eyre, then that's synthesis as well (though you may have trouble selling it). Synthesis can also refer to the act of combining ideas.

Example Sentences

"The trend of 'real story fakes' has been growing thanks to the proliferation of easy to use AI tools for image and video synthesis," Walter Scheirer of the University of Notre Dame told AFP.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

These microbes are believed to play roles in processes such as acid production in the digestive system and bile acid synthesis, which may help protect against harmful bacteria and infections.

From Science Daily • May 3, 2026

The Pentagon aims to establish the U.S. military as an ‘AI-first fighting force’ to enhance data synthesis and decision-making.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

He is firmly in the pragmatic camp when it comes to evidence synthesis, believing that investing at least some effort in collecting evidence still dramatically ups the chances of making a good choice.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

Conceptually, it was thus very easy to visualize how a single chain could be the template for the synthesis of a chain with the complementary sequence.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• amalgam
• fusion