Meaning & use
synthetic
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Made by people using chemical processes, rather than taken from nature.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: synthetic fabric, synthetic fuel. It is not often used with more or most.
Patterns
- synthetic material
- synthetic version of something
Nylon is a synthetic fiber that dries quickly.
The company makes a synthetic version of the natural dye.
Many medicines were first copied in a lab in synthetic form.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Not real or sincere; seeming artificial or forced.
Grammar: Used about feelings or behavior and often with a negative tone: a synthetic smile.
Patterns
- a synthetic smile
- sound synthetic
Her friendly tone felt synthetic and rehearsed.
The song's cheer sounded synthetic.
He gave a synthetic laugh at the boss's joke.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Formed by putting separate parts together into a whole, as in reasoning or language study.
Grammar: A technical word, used before a noun and often contrasted with analytic: a synthetic approach.
Patterns
- a synthetic approach
- synthetic reasoning
The book takes a synthetic approach, building one big picture from many small studies.
Latin is often called a synthetic language because endings carry grammatical meaning.
A synthetic view of history joins economics, politics and culture.
Common combinations
- synthetic fiber
- The jacket is made of synthetic fiber.
- synthetic rubber
- Most tires use synthetic rubber as well as natural rubber.
- synthetic drug
- The synthetic drug mimics a natural hormone.
- synthetic fuel
- The plane ran on a synthetic fuel in the test.
- synthetic biology
- Synthetic biology designs new living systems.
- synthetic turf
- Our local pitch has synthetic turf.
Synonyms and how they differ
- artificial
- Artificial is the broader word for anything made by humans, while synthetic stresses a material made through chemistry to copy or replace a natural one.
- man-made
- Man-made is a plain, everyday word for anything produced by people, including buildings and lakes.
- fake
- Fake implies deception or imitation meant to fool, which synthetic does not.
- manufactured
- Manufactured only says something was made in a factory and does not mean it copies a natural thing.
Opposites
Word family
- synthesis noun
- the combining of parts into a whole, or making a compound by chemical reaction
- synthesize verb
- to make by combining simpler parts or substances
- synthetically adverb
- by artificial means
- synthesizer noun
- an electronic instrument that produces sounds
Commonly confused: synthetic or synthesis? synthetic or sympathetic?
synthetic vs synthesis
Synthesis is a noun for the process of combining things, while synthetic is the adjective for something made that way.
synthetic vs sympathetic
Sympathetic means feeling or showing sympathy, and only looks similar in spelling.
Practice
A label says the sweater is 100 percent synthetic. What does that tell you?
Choose one answer.
Synthetic describes materials produced by chemical processes, such as nylon or polyester. It says nothing about wool, handwork or price.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “synthetic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.