Meaning & use

synchronous

adjective·Academic

Existing, happening, or operating at the same time, or occurring in a fixed, coordinated sequence.

See it in a sentence

The course offers synchronous classes with live discussion instead of only recorded lectures.

Synchronous communication, like a phone call, requires both people to be present at once.

A note on using this word

Common in education and computing to contrast real-time interaction with delayed, asynchronous alternatives.

Words with a similar meaning

simultaneousconcurrent

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

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