Synchronously

Synchronously is an adverb describing events that occur at the same time or in a coordinated manner. The term is derived from synchrony, from Greek synchronos ("occurring at the same time"), itself from syn- "together" and chronos "time," and through Latin synchronus to English synchronous and synchronously.

In general usage, something happening synchronously occurs at the same moment as something else or is coordinated with it. In computing, synchrony often refers to operations that block until a result is available, as opposed to asynchronous operations that proceed without waiting. Synchronous I/O requires the caller to wait for completion, while asynchronous I/O uses callbacks or promises.

In communications and media, synchronous transmission relies on a shared clock to align symbols; in video and audio, synchronization aligns streams, for example lip-sync to ensure that movements match spoken words.

In science and engineering, synchronous systems include synchronized clocks, coordinated control loops, and synchronous motors whose rotating speed matches the supply frequency. The concept is central to ensuring predictable timing and coordination, but can introduce latency or bottlenecks if delays propagate.

See also: synchronization, synchronous, asynchronous, clock signal, lip-sync.

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