synthetic
UK: sɪnˈθetɪk | US: sɪnˈθetɪk
adj. 1. (of a substance) made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product.
adj. 2. not genuine or natural; artificial.
adj. 3. (linguistics) relating to a language that uses inflection to express grammatical relationships.
The word "synthetic" originates from Greek synthetikos, derived from syn- (together) and tithenai (to put). The morpheme syn- implies combination, while thet- (from tithenai) means "to place or arrange." The suffix -ic turns it into an adjective. Historically, the term evolved to describe things artificially combined or constructed, reflecting the logic of "putting together" elements to create something new.
The lab produced a synthetic version of the rare mineral.
Her smile seemed synthetic, lacking genuine warmth.
Synthetic fibers like polyester are widely used in clothing.
Linguists classify some languages as synthetic due to their complex inflections.
The debate focused on the ethical implications of synthetic biology.