Syn*thet"ic (?), Syn*thet"ic*al (?), a. [Gr. : cf. F. synth'etique.]
1.
Of or pertaining to synthesis; consisting in synthesis or composition; as, the synthetic method of reasoning, as opposed to analytical.
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.
2. Chem.
Artificial. Cf. Synthesis, 2.
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.
Synthetic, ∨ Synthetical language, an inflectional language, or one characterized by grammatical endings; -- opposed to analytic language. R. Morris.
© Webster 1913.