Origin: Greek prefix syn-
Synthetic has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:
a compound made artificially by chemical reactions
"The lab technician analyzed the synthetic dye produced through complex chemical reactions."
A synthetic compound.
"The laboratory produced a synthetic compound that mimicked the rare natural enzyme."
not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially
"man-made fibers"
"synthetic leather"
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"
systematic combining of root and modifying elements into single words
"The synthetic nature of the language allows speakers to create complex ideas by systematically joining roots and modifiers into single, unified words."
of a proposition whose truth value is determined by observation or facts
"`all men are arrogant' is a synthetic proposition"
Of, or relating to synthesis.
"The complex synthetic pathway allowed scientists to produce rare compounds from simple precursors."
In plain English: Synthetic means something that is made by people using chemicals instead of being found naturally in nature.
"The sweater is made from soft synthetic fibers that keep you warm in winter."
The word synthetic comes from the French term synthétique, which was borrowed from Ancient Greek. It originally described something created by combining separate elements into a unified whole, much like its root meaning "put together."