adj. & n.
--adj.
1. made by chemical synthesis, esp. to imitate a natural product (synthetic rubber).
2 (of emotions etc.) affected, insincere.
3 Logic (of a proposition) having truth or falsity determinable by recourse to experience (cf. ANALYTIC 3).
4 Philol. using combinations of simple words or elements in compounded or complex words (cf. ANALYTICAL).
--n. Chem. a synthetic substance.
Phrases and idioms:
synthetic resin Chem. see RESIN n. 2.
Derivatives:
synthetical adj. synthetically adv.
Etymology: F synth{eacute}tique or mod.L syntheticus f. Gk sunthetikos f. sunthetos f. suntithemi (as SYN-, tithemi put)