synoptic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or constituting a synopsis; affording or taking a general view of the principal parts of a subject.
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(often initial capital letter) taking a common view: used chiefly in reference to the first three Gospels synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, from their similarity in content, order, and statement.
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(often initial capital letter) pertaining to the synoptic Gospels.
adjective
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of or relating to a synopsis
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(often capital) Bible
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(of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke) presenting the narrative of Christ's life, ministry, etc from a point of view held in common by all three, and with close similarities in content, order, etc
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of, relating to, or characterizing these three Gospels
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meteorol showing or concerned with the distribution of meteorological conditions over a wide area at a given time
a synoptic chart
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonsynoptic adjective
- nonsynoptical adjective
- nonsynoptically adverb
- synoptically adverb
- synoptist noun
Etymology
Origin of synoptic
1755–65; < Greek synoptikós, equivalent to synop- ( synopsis ) + -tikos -tic
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.
Some frustrated users turned to humour: "As much as I love a good game of hide and seek, can you tell us where you're hiding synoptic charts or drop some clues?"
From BBC
That’s because, by the time a large-scale synoptic system makes its way across the country and evolves over time, it typically reaches the Southeast right during those evening hours.
From Scientific American
Tornado outbreaks are associated with a large-scale synoptic system.
From The Verge
What unites these writers is their disregard for traditional disciplinary boundaries and a determination to reach for synoptic knowledge of stupefyingly complex subjects.
From New York Times
Several days out, it’s possible to begin keying in on the positions of synoptic, or larger-scale, features that are important to the forecast.
From Washington Post
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.
