| Synthesis | n.; pl. Syntheses [ L., a mixture, properly, a putting together, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to place or put together; sy`n with + &unr_; to place. See Thesis. ] 1. Composition, or the putting of two or more things together, as in compounding medicines. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. (Chem.) The art or process of making a compound by putting the ingredients together, as contrasted with analysis; thus, water is made by synthesis from hydrogen and oxygen; hence, specifically, the building up of complex compounds by special reactions, whereby their component radicals are so grouped that the resulting substances are identical in every respect with the natural articles when such occur; thus, artificial alcohol, urea, indigo blue, alizarin, etc., are made by synthesis. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Logic) The combination of separate elements of thought into a whole, as of simple into complex conceptions, species into genera, individual propositions into systems; -- the opposite of analysis. [ 1913 Webster ] Analysis and synthesis, though commonly treated as two different methods, are, if properly understood, only the two necessary parts of the same method. Each is the relative and correlative of the other. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Synthetical | { } a. [ Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. synthétique. ] 1. Of or pertaining to synthesis; consisting in synthesis or composition; as, the synthetic method of reasoning, as opposed to analytical. [ 1913 Webster ] Philosophers hasten too much from the analytic to the synthetic method; that is, they draw general conclusions from too small a number of particular observations and experiments. Bolingbroke. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. (Chem.) Artificial. Cf. Synthesis, 2. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Zool.) Comprising within itself structural or other characters which are usually found only in two or more diverse groups; -- said of species, genera, and higher groups. See the Note under Comprehensive, 3. [ 1913 Webster ]
Synthetic language, or
Synthetical language, an inflectional language, or one characterized by grammatical endings; -- opposed to analytic language. R. Morris. [ 1913 Webster ]
Variants: Synthetic |
