synthetic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.made by humans using chemical processes rather than occurring naturally.
adj.produced by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product.
Simple“Many modern clothes are made from synthetic materials like nylon or polyester.”
In context“The laboratory succeeded in creating a synthetic version of the rare plant extract, ensuring a steady supply for medical research without depleting natural resources.”
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
adj.not real or honest; fake.
adj.artificial or insincere in manner, tone, or quality.
Simple“The politician greeted the crowd with a synthetic smile that didn't reach his eyes.”
In context“Critics dismissed the pop star's latest album as a synthetic corporate product lacking any genuine emotional depth.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
adj.describing a language that uses many word endings to show the meaning of a sentence.
adj.characterised by a grammar that depends on the use of bound morphemes or inflections to indicate syntactic relationships.
Simple“Latin is a synthetic language because the endings of the words tell you their role in the sentence.”
In context“Linguistic evolution often shows a shift from highly synthetic structures toward more analytic ones, where word order and auxiliary verbs replace complex case endings.”
SynonymsinflectedAntonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a substance or fabric that is made by humans, not from nature.
n.a chemical compound or textile produced by synthesis.
Simple“The athlete prefers wearing synthetics because they dry much faster than cotton.”
In context“The rise of cheap synthetics in the mid-twentieth century revolutionised the fashion industry, making durable clothing accessible to the general public.”
Usage synthetic chemicals
“Synthetic DNA offered another important advantage over natural DNA.”
“Graphite treated in this way for several hours becomes a synthetic diamond.”
From French synthétique, from Ancient Greek συνθετικός (sunthetikós); Equivalent to synthesis + -ic (suffix formation of -tic).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.