synthesis

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'synthesis' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to the combination of ideas or components to form a new whole idea or entity. For example, "The synthesis of traditional eastern and western influences gave rise to a new form of cuisine."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Yes, "art": television is capable of creating its own art, which is not dependent on other arts, or is at least a mongrel synthesis of them.

The Guardian - Opinion

Our synthesis of the best of the red and the green integrates policies for social justice and human rights with policies for tackling the life-threatening dangers posed by global warming, environmental pollution, resource depletion and species extinction.

The Guardian - Opinion

What Marvel has achieved with its comic-book universe, which Sony would do well to ape, is a kind of synthesis between creative endeavour and smart studio deal-making which would once have been thought impossible.

The Guardian - Film

All it took me was a few dozen phone calls to Shanghai, a gmail account, a bank transfer, a PO Box set up in a false name, a few emails to contacts on web forums that gave me the synthesis and the modification and the name of a friendly laboratory, and a bit of reading.

The Guardian

They include The Lion in Winter (1968), a razor-sharp Plantagenet comedy with Peter O'Toole as Henry II and Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine; The Killing Fields (1984), a moving tale of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge; and Ran (1985), Akira Kurosawa's synthesis of King Lear and the real story of 16th-century Japanese daimyo Mori Motonari.

The Guardian - Film

It's like the netherwordly synthesis moment between nerds and jocks Hollywood never showed you.

The Guardian - Sport

Billy Elliot, however, is a synthesis, a reconciliation.

The Guardian - Film

It will be interesting to see whether the collective wisdom of practitioners and enthusiastic amateurs prevails over an algorithmic synthesis of the world's medical literature.

The Economist

There are even signs of a synthesis between the EMH and the sceptics.

The Economist

You can gasify rubbish by heating it and turning it into synthesis fuel, which is then fed into a reaction called the Fischer-Tropsch process.

The Economist

The most quoted part of the pope's Regensburg speech in 2006 in which he implied that Christianity is rational in a way that Islam is not was a synthesis of several ideas that conservative Americans (by no means all religious) hold dear.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "synthesis" to indicate a sophisticated combination of ideas or elements, especially when forming a new, coherent whole. For example, "The report provides a synthesis of the research findings."

Common error

Avoid using "synthesis" when you actually mean "analysis". "Synthesis" is about combining elements, while "analysis" is about breaking them down.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "synthesis" is as a noun, typically referring to the combination of different elements or ideas to form a coherent whole. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's correctly used to denote a formation of complexity.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "synthesis" is a grammatically correct and frequently used noun that describes the combination of elements or ideas into a coherent whole. Ludwig AI confirms its validity in written English. Its usage spans diverse contexts, notably news, science, and formal business settings. While authoritative sources like The Economist and The Guardian frequently employ it, "synthesis" maintains a formal tone. Be mindful of its distinct meaning from "analysis", and leverage its descriptive power to convey sophisticated combinations of concepts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

integration

Focuses more on the combination of different elements into a unified system.

fusion

Implies a blending together, often suggesting a transformative combination.

amalgamation

Suggests a merging or mixing of different components into a single mass.

combination

A general term for joining two or more things together.

consolidation

Emphasizes the process of making something stronger or more solid through unification.

unification

Highlights the act of bringing different parts together into a single entity.

merger

Typically used to describe the joining of two or more organizations or entities.

blend

Suggests a smooth mixture of different qualities or elements.

compound

Refers to a substance formed from two or more elements chemically united.

composite

Indicates something made up of disparate parts or elements.

FAQs

How is "synthesis" used in academic writing?

In academic writing, "synthesis" often refers to combining information from different sources to create a new understanding or argument. It's not just summarizing; it's about creating something new from existing ideas. You might, for example, present a "synthesis of different theories".

What's the difference between "synthesis" and "summary"?

"Summary" involves condensing the main points of a single source, while "synthesis" involves integrating ideas from multiple sources to create a new perspective or argument. Synthesis goes beyond merely restating information.

What can I say instead of "synthesis" when discussing chemical reactions?

In the context of chemical reactions, you can use terms like "formation", "creation", or "production" depending on the specific nature of the reaction.

Is "synthesis" only used in scientific or academic contexts?

While "synthesis" is common in scientific and academic contexts, it can also be used more broadly to describe the combination of different elements in art, music, or even everyday life. For instance, a chef might create a "synthesis" of different culinary styles.