synthesis
synthesis Lexical Profile
synthesis Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The combination of components, ideas, or elements to form a connected, unified whole.
"Her latest book is a brilliant synthesis of historical research and personal memoir."
The production of chemical compounds by reaction from simpler materials, either artificially in a laboratory or naturally within living organisms.
"Sunlight is essential for the synthesis of vitamin D in the human body."
In dialectical philosophy, the final stage of reasoning in which the tension between an initial proposition (thesis) and its contradiction (antithesis) is resolved into a higher truth.
"In Hegelian dialectics, the clash between thesis and antithesis ultimately yields a new synthesis."
Word Nuance & Usage
The irregular Greek plural is "syntheses" (pronounced with a long 'e' sound at the end). In academic and philosophical contexts, "synthesis" is directly contrasted with "analysis"—whereas analysis breaks a complex topic down into smaller parts, synthesis combines separate elements into a unified whole.
• Rhymes for synthesis
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century via Latin from Ancient Greek 'synthesis' (a putting together, composition), derived from 'syntithenai', from 'syn-' (together) and 'tithenai' (to place or put).