Synthesis
noun /ˈsɪn.θə.sɪs/ — The combination of elements into a coherent whole
Definition
The combination of thesis and antithesis into a new unified position — or more broadly, the combining of separate parts or ideas into a new, coherent whole.
Beyond the definition
The arrival after the argument. Synthesis doesn't just combine — it transcends, producing something neither position contained alone.
Origin & history
From Greek 'synthesis' (a putting together) — 'syn' (together) + 'tithenai' (to place). Hegel formalised its philosophical meaning as the resolution of thesis and antithesis.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The book's synthesis of philosophy and biography created something neither field had produced alone.
Good thinking doesn't end in argument — it ends in synthesis.
Her theory represented a genuine synthesis: the old schools both recognised themselves in it, and couldn't object.
Synonyms
integration, combination, unification, fusion, amalgamation
Antonyms
analysis, separation, division
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Cooperating on a bridge model
Three adults cooperate around a table, building a model bridge by interlocking transparent and wooden pieces into one structure.
The way the adults combine different, separate pieces into one new, supported structure is a physical synthesis. They take the separate contributions and ideas and create a new, coherent whole that works better than the individual parts could alone.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration