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

To place individual indium atoms precisely on the surface of hafnium oxide, the ETH team developed several new synthesis methods in collaboration with other research groups.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026

For Cannes director Thierry Fremaux, the prize recognises Streisand's contribution as the "legendary synthesis between Broadway and Hollywood, between the music hall stage and the big screen".

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

They focused on a group of enzymes responsible for producing molecules needed for DNA synthesis and repair.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

Cabbage is rich in Vitamin C and folate, “which is important for DNA synthesis, for your cells to reproduce themselves,” Beitchman explains.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2026

In turn, RNA chains were the likely candidates for the templates for protein synthesis.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• amalgam
• fusion