synthetic

[ sin-thet-ik ]
/ sɪnˈθɛt ɪk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR synthetic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

something made by a synthetic, or chemical, process.
synthetics.
  1. substances or products made by chemical synthesis, as plastics or artificial fibers.
  2. the science or industry concerned with such products.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM synthetic

Words nearby synthetic

synthesis gas, synthesize, synthesizer, synthespian, synthetase, synthetic, synthetic biology, synthetic cubism, synthetic detergent, synthetic division, synthetic dye
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to synthetic

manufactured, fabricated, ersatz, phony, makeshift, fake, plastic, mock, counterfeit, factitious, hokey, made, unnatural, false, constructed

Example sentences from the Web for synthetic

British Dictionary definitions for synthetic

synthetic
/ (sɪnˈθɛtɪk) /

adjective Also: synthetical

(of a substance or material) made artificially by chemical reaction
not genuine; insinceresynthetic compassion
denoting languages, such as Latin, whose morphology is characterized by synthesisCompare polysynthetic, agglutinative (def. 2), analytic (def. 3)
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. contingentCompare a posteriori, empirical

noun

a synthetic substance or material

Derived forms of synthetic

synthetically, adverb

Word Origin for synthetic

C17: from New Latin syntheticus, from Greek sunthetikos expert in putting together, from suntithenai to put together; see synthesis
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for synthetic

synthetic
[ sĭn-thĕt′ĭk ]

adj.

Relating to or involving synthesis.
Produced by chemical synthesis, especially not of natural origin.

n.

A synthetic chemical compound or material.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for synthetic

synthetic
[ sĭn-thĕt′ĭk ]

Produced artificially, especially in a laboratory or other man-made environment. Nylon is a synthetic chemical compound.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.