synchrony

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The state of two or more things happening, moving, or developing at the same time or rate.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used in the phrase 'in synchrony' or 'in synchrony with'.

   Patterns

   • in synchrony
   • in synchrony with something
   • synchrony between A and B

   The dancers moved in perfect synchrony, as if they shared one mind.

   There is a natural synchrony between the moon's cycle and the tides.

   The two clocks were not in synchrony, so the experiment failed.

2. 2noununcountabletechnicalbiology

   In biology, the coordinated timing of life-cycle events among individuals of a species.

   Grammar: Technical; often used with 'reproductive' or 'breeding'.

   Patterns

   • reproductive synchrony
   • breeding synchrony

   Reproductive synchrony ensures that many offspring are born at once, overwhelming predators.

   The synchrony of flowering in these trees is triggered by the first heavy rain.

Common combinations

in synchrony

The swimmers breathed in synchrony.

perfect synchrony

Their movements were in perfect synchrony.

synchrony between

There is a surprising synchrony between the two economic cycles.

break synchrony

A loud noise broke the synchrony of the fireflies.

Synonyms and how they differ

simultaneity

Focuses on things happening at exactly the same moment, not necessarily at the same rate over time.

coordination

Emphasizes intentional working together, while synchrony can be natural or automatic.

Opposites

Word family

synchronous adjective

Happening or existing at the same time.

synchronize verb

To make things happen at the same time or rate.

synchronization noun

The act or process of making things happen together.

Commonly confused: synchrony or synchronicity?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “synchrony”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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