Synthetic means made by people rather than found in nature. Synthetic fibres, synthetic rubber, a synthetic material.
It is neutral in chemistry: a synthetic version of a molecule is chemically identical to the natural one and often purer. In clothing, synthetic means made from petroleum-derived fibres — polyester, nylon, acrylic — and the shedding of microplastics from them in the wash is now a serious environmental problem. Note synthesis, the putting together; and that synthetic is the opposite of analytic in philosophy, which is a different distinction entirely.
1adjectivesyntheticMade by people rather than found in nature.
“The jacket is made of a synthetic material that keeps out the rain.”
synthetic is a quality of being manufactured.
Greek synthetikos comes from syntithenai, to put together — syn plus tithenai, to place. Synthesis is a putting together and analysis a taking apart, which are the two halves of every method.
Proto-Indo-European
*dʰeh₁-
Ancient Greek
συνθετικός
French
synthétique
English, today
synthetic
From French synthétique, from Ancient Greek συνθετικός; Equivalent to synthesis + ic (suffix formation of -tic).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA