synthetic

adjective

syn·thet·ic | \ sin-ˈthe-tik

Definition of synthetic

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

4a(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

c : factitious, bogus

synthetic

noun

Definition of synthetic (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from synthetic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about synthetic

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Synonyms & Antonyms for synthetic

Synonyms: Adjective

artificial, man-made, nonnatural

Antonyms: Adjective

natural

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

Unlike nuclear weapons, the world has an opportunity to take action before synthetic biology becomes commonplace. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Military Wants to Create Synthetic Life Forms to Track Enemies," 4 Dec. 2018 The MIT Media Lab professor comfortably straddles the worlds of architecture, art, interaction design, and synthetic biology. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Watch a swarm of robots build a fiber structure," 12 Oct. 2018 Calculated Healing It’s still early, but in the last few years researchers have routinely endowed cells with rudimentary computing capabilities, says James Collins, another MIT bioengineer and one of the pioneers of synthetic biology. — Eric Smalley, Discover Magazine, "Cellular Cyborgs: How Programmable DNA Strands Might Control Healing," 25 Sep. 2018 Authorities suspect synthetic cannabinoids, known as K2, were laced with other substances in the New Haven cases, ABC News reported. — Frank Miles, Fox News, "More than 70 people overdose in New Haven as park visitors watch in horror," 16 Aug. 2018 If the lining is synthetic, the shoe stretcher can stick and leave a mark. — Talia Abbas, SELF, "How to Stretch Shoes That Are Too Small," 24 Dec. 2018 The main ingredient is deoxycholic acid, a synthetic version of a naturally occurring molecule in the body that aids in the breakdown and absorption of fat. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "'Selfie awareness' has millennials turning to double chin removal procedures," 21 Sep. 2018 Used in topical rosacea and acne treatments, synthetic versions help kill bacteria living in pores while reducing inflammation. — Allure, "The Skin-Care Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything You Need to Know," 17 Aug. 2018 Yin points out that the FDA already approved two nausea drugs — dronabinol and nabilone — that use synthetic versions of THC. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Here’s what’s next now that the FDA has approved a cannabis drug for seizures," 29 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The leading cause of overdose deaths was non-methadone synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyls that have increasingly supplanted heroin in the illicit market. — German Lopez, Vox, "Drug overdose deaths were so bad in 2017, they reduced overall life expectancy," 29 Nov. 2018 Dsuvia contains sufentanil, which is five to 10 times stronger than fentanyl, a synthetic opioid linked to thousands of overdose deaths in North America. — Maria Armental, WSJ, "Noting Military Potential, FDA Approves Powerful Painkiller Dsuvia," 2 Nov. 2018 There are more than 100 different varieties — some synthetic, others from natural sources, like coconut or palm oil. — Allure, "The Skin-Care Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything You Need to Know," 17 Aug. 2018 That's because at the time, there were only two options for falsies: human hair, which gave a natural look (a little too much so for Ghalichi) or synthetic, which is the kind most people reserve for Halloween. — Deanna Pai, Glamour, "How Every Celebrity in Hollywood Started Wearing Lilly Lashes," 31 July 2018 Ingredients in the synthetic drug keep blood from clotting and rat poison has been found recently in synthetics around Milwaukee, officials have said. — Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'This is not marijuana': Fake weed, known as spice or K2, possible cause in 2 Milwaukee County deaths," 3 July 2018 Generally, surgeons use one of two types, a synthetic, or mechanical, device or a biologic one made from cow or pig tissue chemically treated to prevent rejection. — — Marlene Cimons, Washington Post, "Heart valve treatment has come a long way since surgeons used only their hands," 10 June 2018 Creative thinkers are hard at work on futuristic fancies like healthier, synthetic — and hangover-free — booze, or electric clothes that vary temperature to fit changing weather and your needs, or sensors to catch potential tooth cavities. — Ken Fisher, USA TODAY, "How your 401(k) stocks harness the power of invention," 11 Mar. 2018 The 47-year-old Toronto resident has overdosed five times in the past four years after injecting the synthetic opioid fentanyl. — Vipal Monga, WSJ, "Ontario Promotes Free Use of Opioid Antidote," 24 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'synthetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.