SINCE 1828
photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfō-tō-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs
\
\
Definition of photosynthesis
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy and especially light
especially
: formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (such as water) in the chlorophyll-containing cells (as of green plants) exposed to light
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Other Words from photosynthesis
photosynthesize
\ ˌfō-tō-ˈsin(t)-thə-ˌsīz
\
intransitive verb
\
intransitive verb
photosynthetic
\ ˌfō-tō-sin-ˈthe-tik
\
adjective
\
adjective
photosynthetically
\ ˌfō-tō-sin-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of photosynthesis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some new development like photosynthesis, some new surprise like an asteroid or a belch of volcanic carbon, throws a monkey wrench into the world order. — Robert M. Thorson, WSJ, "‘Timefulness’ Review: Thinking in Eons," 30 Dec. 2018 Artificial photosynthesis has been around for decades, but scientists haven’t been able to develop it on a scale large enough to support an industrial level, or that could operate without the use of expensive or polluting devices. — Fox News, "Scientists invent way to create 'unlimited renewable energy'," 7 Sep. 2018 Plants around the world absorbed those isotopes during photosynthesis, effectively turning them into a time stamp. — Moises Velasquez-manoff, New York Times, "Can Dirt Save the Earth?," 18 Apr. 2018 Here on Earth, 21 percent of our atmosphere is made up of oxygen — thanks to the abundance of plants and other organisms that create oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. — Deborah Netburn, The Seattle Times, "Mars could have enough molecular oxygen to support life," 26 Oct. 2018 Properly managed woodlands help avoid emissions by not burning the trees and also draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. — Fred Krupp, WSJ, "Harness the Market to Manage the Climate," 15 Oct. 2018 When days begin to grow shorter, deciduous (green leafy) trees start signaling their leaves to stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for the leaves’ color and photosynthesis. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "When and where fall foliage colors will peak, in one map," 13 Oct. 2018 In high tide, when less light reaches the alga, the crystals may capture some of the sunlight and pass it on to the surrounding chloroplasts for photosynthesis. — Kai Kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "Scientists uncover the secret behind shimmering seaweed," 13 Apr. 2018 Some use chlorophyll to convert sunlight during photosynthesis and others use rhodopsins, proteins that bind to a form of vitamin A called retina to capture light. — Shandria Sutton, Science | AAAS, "New ‘light-eating’ protein discovered in the Sea of Galilee," 5 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'photosynthesis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for photosynthesis
photosynthesis
noun
English Language Learners Definition of photosynthesis
biology
: the process by which a green plant turns water and carbon dioxide into food when the plant is exposed to light
See the full definition for photosynthesis in the English Language Learners Dictionary
photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfō-tə-ˈsin-thə-səs
\
\
Kids Definition of photosynthesis
: the process by which green plants and a few other organisms (as some protists) form carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light
photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfōt-ō-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs
\
\
plural photosyntheses
Medical Definition of photosynthesis
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of light sometimes including the near infrared or near ultraviolet
especially
: the formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (as water) in chlorophyll-containing cells (as of green plants) exposed to light involving a photochemical release of oxygen through the decomposition of water followed by various enzymatic synthetic reactions that usually do not require the presence of light
Other Words from photosynthesis
photosynthesize
\ -ˌsīz
\
also British photosynthesise
intransitive verb
photosynthesized
also British photosynthesised;
photosynthesizing
also British photosynthesising
\
also British photosynthesise
intransitive verb
photosynthesized
also British photosynthesised;
photosynthesizing
also British photosynthesising
photosynthetic
\ -sin-ˈthet-ik
\
adjective
\
adjective
photosynthetically
\ -i-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
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