Word
synaptic
Phoneticssynap·tic
US/ˌsɪˈnæptɪk/
UK/sɪnˈæptɪk/
Definition
adj. relating to the tiny gaps between nerve cells where signals pass from one to another. It describes how your brain cells talk to each other.
adj. relating to a synapse or the transmission of nerve impulses across the junction between neurons. Typically used in neurobiological contexts to describe chemical or electrical signaling.
Examples
“The brain forms new synaptic connections when you learn something.”
“Researchers are studying how synaptic plasticity allows the brain to reorganize itself after a physical injury.”
“The drug works by increasing synaptic concentrations of serotonin, thereby enhancing the transmission of signals between neurons in the central nervous system.”
Examples
simple
“The brain forms new synaptic connections when you learn something.”
contextual
“Researchers are studying how synaptic plasticity allows the brain to reorganize itself after a physical injury.”
complex
“The drug works by increasing synaptic concentrations of serotonin, thereby enhancing the transmission of signals between neurons in the central nervous system.”
Usage
Typically used in scientific or medical contexts; often precedes nouns like 'connection', 'gap', or 'plasticity'.
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“They can alter their physiology ("synaptic weights") in ways that reflect information learned from the outside world.” “On Earth, information is encoded physically in DNA strands and synaptic impulses; elsewhere in the cosmos, it might take such different forms that we wouldn’t recognise it even if we found it.” Etymology
From New Latin synapticus, from Ancient Greek συναπτικός (sunaptikós, “capable of adjusting”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/synaptic