synthetic: Meaning and Definition of

syn•thet•ic

1. of, pertaining to, proceeding by, or involving synthesis (opposed to analytic).
2. noting or pertaining to compounds formed through a chemical process by human agency, as opposed to those of natural origin: synthetic vitamins; synthetic fiber.
3. (of a language) characterized by a relatively widespread use of affixes, rather than separate words, to express syntactic relationships:Cf.(def. 3),(def. 1). Latin is a synthetic language, while English is analytic.
4. of or pertaining to a noncontradictory proposition in which the predicate is not included in, or entailed by, the subject.
5. not real or genuine; artificial; feigned: a synthetic chuckle at a poor joke.
1. noting a gem mineral manufactured so as to be physically, chemically, and optically identical with the mineral as found in nature.
2. (not in technical use) noting a gem mineral manufactured and pigmented in imitation of a natural gemstone of that name.

1. something made by a synthetic, or chemical, process.
1. substances or products made by chemical synthesis, as plastics or artificial fibers.
2. the science or industry concerned with such products.