synthetic

synthetic
    adj 1: not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially;
           "man-made fibers"; "synthetic leather" [syn: {man-made},
           {semisynthetic}, {synthetic}]
    2: involving or of the nature of synthesis (combining separate
       elements to form a coherent whole) as opposed to analysis;
       "limnology is essentially a synthetic science composed of
       elements...that extend well beyond the limits of biology"-
       P.S.Welch [syn: {synthetic}, {synthetical}] [ant: {analytic},
       {analytical}]
    3: systematic combining of root and modifying elements into
       single words [ant: {analytic}, {uninflected}]
    4: of a proposition whose truth value is determined by
       observation or facts; "`all men are arrogant' is a synthetic
       proposition" [syn: {synthetic}, {synthetical}] [ant:
       {analytic}, {analytical}]
    5: artificial as if portrayed in a film; "a novel with flat
       celluloid characters" [syn: {celluloid}, {synthetic}]
    6: not genuine or natural; "counterfeit rhetoric that flourishes
       when passions are synthetic"- George Will
    n 1: a compound made artificially by chemical reactions [syn:
         {synthetic}, {synthetic substance}]
    

Synthetic \Syn*thet"ic\, Synthetical \Syn*thet"ic*al\, a. [Gr.
   ?: cf. F. synth['e]tique.]
   1. Of or pertaining to synthesis; consisting in synthesis or
      composition; as, the synthetic method of reasoning, as
      opposed to analytical.
      [1913 Webster]

            Philosophers hasten too much from the analytic to
            the synthetic method; that is, they draw general
            conclusions from too small a number of particular
            observations and experiments.         --Bolingbroke.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Chem.) Artificial. Cf. {Synthesis}, 2.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Zool.) Comprising within itself structural or other
      characters which are usually found only in two or more
      diverse groups; -- said of species, genera, and higher
      groups. See the Note under {Comprehensive}, 3.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Synthetic language}, or {Synthetical language}, an
      inflectional language, or one characterized by grammatical
      endings; -- opposed to {analytic language}. --R. Morris.
      [1913 Webster]
    

28 Moby Thesaurus words for "synthetic":
      adhesive, artificial, bogus, cast plastic, cellulose plastic,
      counterfeit, ersatz, extruded plastic, fake, false, imitation,
      laminate, man-made, manufactured, mock, molded plastic,
      molding compounds, plastic, polymer, protein plastic, pseudo,
      resin plastic, sham, spurious, synthetic fabric, synthetic rubber,
      thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic