from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
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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.
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2. (Chem.) Artificial. Cf. {Synthesis}, 2.
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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.
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{Synthetic language}, or {Synthetical language}, an
inflectional language, or one characterized by grammatical
endings; -- opposed to {analytic language}. --R. Morris.
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