synthetic
sin-THET-ik
/sɪnˈθɛtɪk/
Made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product; artificial rather than naturally occurring.
In textiles, describes man-made fibers like polyester or nylon created from petroleum products rather than plants or animals.
The story behind the word. Rooted in Greek 'synthetikos', meaning 'put together'. The word entered English through chemistry in the 19th century to describe compounds formed artificially by combining simpler chemical building blocks. When nylon was invented in 1935, synthetic fabrics entered global mainstream fashion.
Word relationships
- artificial: Artificial means made by humans rather than nature, without requiring chemical polymer synthesis.
- man-made: Man-made is an everyday synonym, whereas synthetic implies chemical engineering.
- natural: Natural materials originate directly from living plants, animals, or minerals.
- organic: Organic refers to natural biological origins grown without synthetic chemicals.
Commonly confused with
- sympathetic: Sympathetic means showing compassion, completely unrelated to synthetic.
Word family
- synthesize (verb): To combine elements into a unified whole artificially.
- synthesis (noun): The process of combining parts to form a whole.
Collocations
- synthetic fiber
- synthetic fabric
- synthetic material
- synthetic polymer
Example sentences
- "Modern athletic wear relies heavily on synthetic materials designed to wick sweat away quickly." Textile science context
- "Synthetic fibers release microscopic plastic particles during household laundry cycles." Environmental commentary context
Memory hook
SYNTHetic sounds like SYNTHesizer—both put isolated elements together artificially. Put together in a lab.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'fake' in a deceptive moral sense; 'synthetic' simply means artificially manufactured.
Fun facts
- Nylon was the first fully synthetic fiber created in a laboratory, introduced publicly at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Related words
Explore more words
artificial, Synthesis, synthesize, organic, replicate, engineered
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