synthetic

American  

[sin-thet-ik] / sɪnˈθɛt ɪk /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, proceeding by, or involving synthesis (analytic ).

2. noting or pertaining to compounds formed through a chemical process by human agency, as opposed to those of natural origin.

   synthetic vitamins; synthetic fiber.

3. (of a language) characterized by a relatively widespread use of affixes, rather than separate words, to express syntactic relationships.

   Latin is a synthetic language, while English is analytic.

4. Logic. Also synthetical. of or relating to a noncontradictory proposition in which the predicate is not included in, or entailed by, the subject.

5. not real or genuine; artificial; feigned.

   a synthetic chuckle at a poor joke.

   Synonyms:

   sham, counterfeit, phony, fake

6. Jewelry.

   1. noting a gem mineral manufactured so as to be physically, chemically, and optically identical with the mineral as found in nature.

   2. (not in technical use) noting a gem mineral manufactured and pigmented in imitation of a natural gemstone of that name.

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noun

1. something made by a synthetic, or chemical, process.

2. synthetics.

   1. substances or products made by chemical synthesis, as plastics or artificial fibers.

   2. the science or industry concerned with such products.

synthetic British  

/ sɪnˈθɛtɪk /

adjective

1. (of a substance or material) made artificially by chemical reaction

2. not genuine; insincere

   synthetic compassion

3. denoting languages, such as Latin, whose morphology is characterized by synthesis Compare polysynthetic agglutinative analytic

4. philosophy

   1. (of a proposition) having a truth-value that is not determined solely by virtue of the meanings of the words, as in all men are arrogant

   2. contingent Compare a posteriori empirical

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noun

1. a synthetic substance or material

synthetic Scientific  

/ sĭn-thĕt′ĭk /

1. Produced artificially, especially in a laboratory or other man-made environment. Nylon is a synthetic chemical compound.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsynthetic adjective
• nonsynthetical adjective
• nonsynthetically adverb
• synthetically adverb
• unsynthetic adjective
• unsynthetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of synthetic

1690–1700; < New Latin syntheticus < Greek synthetikós, equivalent to synthet ( ós ) placed together, verbid of syntithénai to put together ( syn- syn- + the-, stem of tithénai to put, place + -tos verbid suffix) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

The model relies on one synthetic village, with fixed household sizes, workplaces and daily movement patterns.

From BBC

Cars will have to run on fully sustainable fuel, manufactured from biomass or synthetic industrial processes.

From BBC

Their approach uses "aptamers" -- short pieces of synthetic DNA that fold into three-dimensional structures.

From Science Daily

“Alien: Earth” follows a group of children whose consciousnesses are transferred into synthetic adult bodies.

From Salon

It said all cosmetic ingredients, whether natural or synthetic, were rigorously tested for safety.

From BBC

Related Words

• fabricated
• manufactured