synchrony
synchrony Lexical Profile
synchrony Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Simultaneous action, development, or occurrence; the state of operating or happening at the exact same time or rate.
"The dancers moved in effortless synchrony with the rhythm of the orchestra."
The study or analysis of a language or cultural system as it exists at a specific point in time, without reference to its historical development (in linguistics and social sciences).
"Modern structural linguistics emphasizes the distinction between synchrony and historical diachrony."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'synchrony' with 'synchronicity': 'synchrony' refers to simultaneous occurrence or coordinated timing, whereas 'synchronicity' (coined by psychologist Carl Jung) denotes the meaningful coincidence of events that have no apparent causal connection.
• Rhymes for synchrony
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Late Latin and French from Ancient Greek 'synkhronia' (simultaneity), formed from 'syn-' (together) and 'khronos' (time). The linguistic sense contrasting with 'diachrony' was popularized in the early 20th century by Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure.