n. 1 Philos. & Theol. the process or an instance of syncretizing (see SYNCRETIZE). 2 Philol. the merging of different inflectional varieties in the development of a language. syncretic adj. syncretist n. syncretistic adj.
[ mod.L syncretismus f. Gk sugkretismos f. sugkretizo (of two parties) combine against a third f. kres Cretan (orig. of ancient Cretan communities) ]