synthetic 1 of 2

adjective

sin-ˈthe-tik How to pronounce synthetic (audio)
Definition of syntheticnext
1
as in artificial
produced by humans rather than natural processes that organic farm doesn't use any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in faux
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials synthetic fur collars boots of waterproof synthetic leather

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

synthetic

2 of 2

noun

as in simulation

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of synthetic
Adjective
The main drug activity within the jail involved paper laced with synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as K2, the complaint said. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 Real productivity improves decision velocity; synthetic volume just creates operational fatigue. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
The synthetic gives you direction and a new lens, but humans still make the decisions. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 In The Sacramento Bee’s climate model simulations built with dozens of synthetic super El Niños, the strongest events line up with the wettest California winters statewide. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for synthetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for synthetic
  1. artificial
  2. faux
  3. simulation
  4. simulated
  5. fake
  6. dummy
  7. false
  8. imitative
Adjective
  • But deeper into the community is the Louisiana Leadership Institute, a sprawling complex that includes a full-scale gymnasium, classrooms, a fine arts center, a football field and a stadium with artificial turf.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The explosion caused an artificial radiation belt that destroyed several satellites and partially knocked out street lights and phone lines in Hawaii.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of artificial
Adjective
  • Floral garlands, vases, faux windows, buckets, and even a trompe-l’oeil lion skin evoke an atmosphere quite far removed from the typical imagery found in houses in this part of Italy.
    — Elena Dallorso, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This + a faux-fur coat + beloved leather pants + a 44-percent-off deal = your most head-turning (and wallet-sparing) ensemble to date.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of faux
Noun
  • Computational simulations, however, showed that these channels connect with one another, creating a three-dimensional network through which lithium ions can move.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Anthropic’s researchers tested fifteen other AI models on the same simulation, and found that all of them displayed similar urges.
    — Kevin Roose, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of simulation
Adjective
  • Drone swarms were used to provide targeting information to ground units, while tactical UAVs, armed helicopters and unmanned ground vehicles coordinated attacks against simulated targets.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Deeptune, which builds simulated work environments for training AI agents, raised a $43 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz in March and agreed to be acquired by Mercor four months later.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of simulated
Adjective
  • Carmella is also still mad at Vicki for saying that Danny is raising her kids, and Heather is angry after learning that Vicki called her fake in Palm Springs.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • All are alleged to have sent investors fake account statements and communications claiming their investments were either safe and sound or growing rapidly.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Adjective
  • Technicians spent weeks running inert dummy rods through the cutters to verify tolerances before introducing live radioactive fuel.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Perception set up a dummy news site and created fake social-media accounts highlighting the tournament’s amenities, which included kosher food in stadiums.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of dummy
Adjective
  • Some defendants face additional allegations involving false claims of citizenship or fraudulent statements that rest on separate federal statutes.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Those numbers include 759 false identification cards confiscated, 378 alcohol-possession-by-a-minor violations and 98 fake-ID citations during the calendar-year reporting period, according to Oxford Police.
    — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of false
Adjective
  • Using techniques like input-dependent computation and gating, the liquid AI design gives us substantially greater power to access the human-like cognition, albeit imitative, of the machines.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Since then, whenever new tools to crank out communications have become available, somebody has flooded the zone with the fastest, most imitative material that could garner attention.
    — Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025
Definition of imitative

Browse Nearby Words

synthesizing
synthetic
synthetics
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Cite this Entry

“Synthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/synthetic. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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