synthetic

American  

[sin-thet-ik] / sɪnˈθɛt ɪk /

adjective

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

• synthetics
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• synthetics
  plural

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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

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Explanation

Something made of artificial material, not natural items, can be described as synthetic. Some football stadiums have synthetic grass, and a leisure suit from the 1970s might be made of synthetic fabric. The adjective synthetic usually describes things created by chemical synthesis (synthetic compound, synthetic drug, synthetic material), but it sometimes describes an emotion that is feigned or not genuine. A person who exudes only synthetic friendliness probably isn't someone you want to hang out with, for example.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

synthetic synthetics

One promising application involves developing synthetic molecular sensors and switches that can regulate gene activity.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

This is so even when one partner isn’t covered in a sculpted, synthetic material that makes him look like a buff, thatched-together take on the captor/suitor in “Beauty and the Beast.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

LONDON—On a quiet industrial estate, engineers at British startup Rivan Industries are working to perfect a system to produce synthetic natural gas from water, sunlight and air.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

Lord's already has two hybrids, where synthetic fibres are inserted and mixed with a regular grass pitch, and a third will be added to the square in the spring.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

“Why don’t you tell us how you became interested in synthetic biology?”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Pro-kratom groups like the American Kratom Association are pushing for bans against synthetics "posing as natural kratom".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The contract allows for limited use of synthetics, under "unusual circumstances," when a generative AI system can be used to create a character who is not based on any actual person in the world.

From Barron's ● May 30, 2026

The more pricey polyester and other synthetics are, the more clothing and textile makers shift to cotton, prices of which have been depressed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026

Composed of icy club beats and steadfast synthetics, she describes the album as “sonically concise,” in that she intentionally used limited instrumentation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025

Many people from the old organic movement argued that to put synthetics in a processed food and then call it organic was a fraud.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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Related Words

• fabricated
• manufactured

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