n. (pl. syntheses) 1 the process or result of building up separate elements, esp. ideas, into a connected whole, esp. into a theory or system. 2 a combination or composition. 3 Chem. the artificial production of compounds from their constituents as distinct from extraction from plants etc. 4 Gram. a the process of making compound and derivative words. b the tendency in a language to use inflected forms rather than groups of words, prepositions, etc. 5 the joining of divided parts in surgery. synthesist n.
[ L f. Gk sunthesis (as SYN-, THESIS) ]