synthetic meaning and definition

SYNTHETIC noun

Definition of synthetic (noun)

1. a compound made artificially by chemical reactions
   • synonyms: synthetic substance

SYNTHETIC adjective

Definition of synthetic (adjective)

1. not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially
   • "man-made fibers"; "synthetic leather"
   • synonyms: man-made, semisynthetic
2. involving or of the nature of synthesis (combining separate elements to form a coherent whole) as opposed to analysis
   • "limnology is essentially a synthetic science composed of elements...that extend well beyond the limits of biology"- P.S.Welch
   • synonyms: synthetical
   • antonym: analytic
3. systematic combining of root and modifying elements into single words
   • antonym: analytic
4. of a proposition whose truth value is determined by observation or facts
   • "`all men are arrogant' is a synthetic proposition"
   • synonyms: synthetical
   • antonym: analytic
5. artificial as if portrayed in a film
   • "a novel with flat celluloid characters"
   • synonyms: celluloid
6. not genuine or natural
   • "counterfeit rhetoric that flourishes when passions are synthetic"- George Will