What does "synthetic" mean?
A synthetic compound.
Synthetic
/sɪnˈθɛtɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A synthetic compound.
- Grammar: synthetic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: a priori, acrylic, adhesive, affected.
- Useful contrasts: agricultural feedstock, algal organism, analytic.
- Usage evidence: The chairs are made of a synthetic material.
How to use "synthetic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "synthetic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "synthetic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "synthetic" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "synthetic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a priori" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "synthetic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A synthetic compound.
"Only plastics and synthetics that cannot be recycled will end up in landfills, he said."
- 2 a compound made artificially by chemical reactions wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of, or relating to synthesis.
- 2 Produced by synthesis instead of being isolated from a natural source (but may be identical to a product so obtained).
"As the world's drug habit shows, governments are failing in their quest to monitor every London window-box and Andean hillside for banned plants. But even that Sisyphean task looks easy next to the fight against synthetic drugs. No sooner has a drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one."
- 3 Produced by synthesis, thought to have the same effect as its natural counterpart, but chemically different from it.
- 4 Artificial, not genuine.
- 5 Pertaining to the joining of bound morphemes in a word (compare analytic).
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Of a language, having a grammar principally dependent on the use of bound morphemes to indicate syntactic relationships (compare analytic).
Adjective
- 1 of a proposition whose truth value is determined by observation or facts wordnet
- 2 systematic combining of root and modifying elements into single words wordnet
- 3 involving or of the nature of synthesis (combining separate elements to form a coherent whole) as opposed to analysis wordnet
- 4 not genuine or natural wordnet
- 5 artificial as if portrayed in a film wordnet
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- 6 not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The chairs are made of a synthetic material."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "synthetic"?
Common synonyms include: a priori, acrylic, adhesive, affected, agglutinated, alike.
How do you use "synthetic" in a sentence?
The chairs are made of a synthetic material.
How do you pronounce "synthetic"?
Pronounced /sɪnˈθɛtɪk/.
Etymology
From French synthétique, from Ancient Greek συνθετικός (sunthetikós); Equivalent to synthesis + -ic (suffix formation of -tic).