Syntese

Syntese is a term used in several languages to denote synthesis—the process of combining components to form a new, more complex substance or concept. In Scandinavian languages such as Danish and Norwegian, syntese corresponds to the English word synthesis. The etymology traces to Greek syn- “together” and thesis “placing.”

In science, synthesis refers to the deliberate construction of compounds or materials. In chemistry, chemical synthesis assembles simpler reactants into complex molecules. In biology, biosynthesis describes cellular pathways that produce complex organic substances, such as fatty acids or vitamins. In pharmacology and natural products chemistry, total synthesis aims to construct a target molecule from basic starting materials. In materials science, synthesis includes methods to create polymers, nanomaterials, and composites.

In philosophy and logic, synthesis denotes the process of combining ideas or theses to form a higher-level proposition, sometimes in the context of dialectical reasoning, though historical interpretations vary.

In technology and the arts, synthesis appears in music and sound design, where electronic or digital synthesis creates sounds, timbres, and music. In speech technology, speech synthesis generates spoken language from text. Data synthesis refers to the amalgamation of data sources to create representative datasets, used in simulations and analytics.

In common usage, syntese may appear as a common noun in several languages, and as a proper noun in names of organizations, products, or cultural works. The term is thus multidisciplinary, spanning science, philosophy, technology, and language.