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 (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

Example Sentences

"OTULIN could be a key regulator in creating an imbalance between protein synthesis and degradation and may cause brain aging," he said.

From Science Daily

"Magnesium deficiency shuts down the vitamin D synthesis and metabolism pathway," Dai said.

From Science Daily

"The natural product itself is not the most potent, but it's the natural product synthesis that brought us to a point where we can make these derivatives and study them," Movassaghi says.

From Science Daily

But his thoughtful undertaking, and his imaginative synthesis of anecdote with history, lived religion with theology, always located in the particular, offers a fresh look at some unchanging human concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It activates hemoglobin synthesis, slows down the cell cycle, and slows down autophagy, which together have a synergistic effect."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• amalgam
• fusion