synthetic

1 of 2

adjective

syn·​thet·​ic sin-ˈthe-tik How to pronounce synthetic (audio)
1
: relating to or involving synthesis : not analytic
the synthetic aspects of a philosophy
2
: attributing to a subject something determined by observation rather than analysis of the nature of the subject and not resulting in self-contradiction if negated compare analytic
3
: characterized by frequent and systematic use of inflected forms to express grammatical relationships
synthetic languages
4
a(1)
: of, relating to, or produced by chemical or biochemical synthesis
especially : produced artificially
synthetic drugs
synthetic silk
(2)
: of or relating to a synfuel
b
: devised, arranged, or fabricated for special situations to imitate or replace usual realities
synthetically adverb

synthetic

2 of 2

noun

: something resulting from synthesis rather than occurring naturally
especially : a product (such as a drug or plastic) of chemical synthesis

Examples of synthetic in a Sentence

Adjective that organic farm doesn't use any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers boots of waterproof synthetic leather Noun The drug is a synthetic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
But as opposite opinions make clear: faux fur—with its synthetic fibers and microplastics—is also a questionable alternative. Shelcy Joseph, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024 The nonprofit Partnership on AI (PAI) one year ago announced a framework for responsible practices around synthetic media, with 10 companies joining the effort as launch partners: Adobe, BBC, Bumble, CBC/Radio Canada, D-ID, OpenAI, Respeecher, Synthesia, TikTok, and WITNESS. Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 The change is under way, as a glut of synthetic media is tripping up search engines such as Google. Nathaniel Lubin, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 Integral to the design of new facades were synthetic polymers: materials made of chains of repeating subunits, and which are the main ingredient of household plastics. Alex Christian, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2024 Berkley PowerBait Panfish Nibbles offer a pliable synthetic bait infused with scents formulated to stimulate feeding. David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 Across the region, opioid overdoses among teens have drastically increased in recent years, fueled primarily by fentanyl, the highly potent and deadly synthetic opioid. Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Studies have shown that the two biggest contributors of microplastics in the environment are car tires and synthetic clothing. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Still, until a few years ago, advances in synthetic voices had plateaued. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Florida senators on Thursday unanimously passed a bill that would exclude synthetic or naturally occurring delta-8 and delta-10 from being legally sold as hemp products. Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024 Nine people, all from either St. Paul or Minneapolis, have been charged in U.S. District Court in St. Paul with conspiracy to distribute the potent synthetic opioid between August 2022 and December 2023. Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2024 Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that has helped fuel the nation's overdose epidemic, but it is also used in legitimate medical settings to relieve severe pain. CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024 Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that can be deadly even in small amounts. Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 Like much of the nation, San Diego County has been grappling with skyrocketing rates of overdoses and deaths attributed to the powerful synthetic opioid, which is up to 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine and can be lethal in tiny doses. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024 The small pieces of paper detect the presence of the highly-lethal synthetic opioid so the user can take steps to prevent an overdose. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Jan. 2024 But even though synthetics are great at wicking away moisture, that’s not always a good thing. Amanda Heidt, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 How warm synthetics are is usually based on the weight in grams. Meg Carney, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'synthetic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Greek synthetikos of composition, component, from syntithenai to put together

First Known Use

Adjective

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of synthetic was in 1697

Dictionary Entries Near synthetic

Cite this Entry

“Synthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synthetic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

synthetic

1 of 2 adjective
syn·​thet·​ic sin-ˈthet-ik How to pronounce synthetic (audio)
1
: relating to or involving synthesis
2
: of, relating to, or produced by chemical synthesis
especially : produced artificially
synthetic drugs
synthetic fibers
synthetically adverb

synthetic

2 of 2 noun
: a product of chemical synthesis

Medical Definition

synthetic

1 of 2 adjective
syn·​thet·​ic sin-ˈthet-ik How to pronounce synthetic (audio)
: of, relating to, or produced by chemical or biochemical synthesis
especially : produced artificially
synthetic drugs
synthetic dyes
synthetically adverb

synthetic

2 of 2 noun
: a product (as a drug) of chemical synthesis

More from Merriam-Webster on synthetic

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