synergy

American  

[sin-er-jee] / ˈsɪn ər dʒi /

noun

plural

synergies

1. the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism.

2. Physiology, Medicine/Medical. the cooperative action of two or more muscles, nerves, or the like.

3. Biochemistry, Pharmacology. the cooperative action of two or more stimuli or drugs.

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synergy British  

/ sɪˈnɜːdʒɪk, ˈsɪnədʒɪ /

noun

1. Also called: synergism.  the potential ability of individual organizations or groups to be more successful or productive as a result of a merger

2. another name for synergism

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Usage

What does synergy mean? 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. Synergy implies that the magic is in the combination, as opposed to in the individual elements themselves. Synergy can be used in all kinds of contexts. A food critic might say that a particular dish is delicious due to the synergy of its ingredients. In the business world, the word synergy is often seen as a kind of buzzword that’s used as a way of referring to what makes a certain project or venture successful. 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. The word synergism can be used to mean the same thing as synergy. The adjective synergistic can be used to describe a combination that produces such an effect or things that work together in this way. Example: The cooperation between these departments produced a synergy that led to great success.

Other Word Forms

• synergic adjective

Etymology

Origin of synergy

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin synergia, from Greek synergía, from synerg(ós) “working together” ( synergism ) + -ia -y ³

Explanation

You write the lyrics and your friend composes the music. Separately each of you is pretty good, but together you’ve got a mega-hit song. That’s synergy — working together to create something greater than either of you could do alone. The word synergy comes from the Greek sun, "together" and ergon, "work" (the same root that gives us ergonomic and energy). When one thing magnifies the effect of another, together they have synergy. If your company makes some revolutionary kind of yo-yo, you may decide to acquire a company that distributes toys, as you’d expect there would be a natural synergy: each company will benefit from the other’s strengths, and together they’ll be stronger than either would be by itself.

Example Sentences

Until recently, this type of synergy had rarely been tested or explained at the molecular level.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

I was like, ‘Oh, my God, the synergy of this is something that you can’t direct.’

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Bargain stocks are concentrated in areas of U.S.-Japan synergy, Arakawa says.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

“Achieving Victory’s $500 million synergy target will require extensive cuts that will impair the Company’s ability to retain investment professionals and maintain Janus Henderson’s high standards of client service,” Janus says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

The exciting synergy of institutional life in an all-purpose national metropolis was deemed less important than the dangerous corruptions likely to afflict a nexus of politicians and financiers.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• teamwork