Skip to content

What’s the Plural of Synthesis?

Last Updated

Is “synthesis” singular or plural?

What’s with the word synthesis, and why does it behave the way it does from its singular to plural form? Keep reading.

👍🏼Usage Note

The researcher presented a new synthesis of the available evidence.

The team completed three different syntheses for the project.

The paper described several interesting synthesis.

Please provide a brief syntheses of your findings.

  • Synthesis (pronounced sin·thuh·sis)is singular.
  • Syntheses (pronounced sin·thuh·seas) is plural.

What’s the definition of synthesis/syntheses?

The Merriam-Webster defines the word synthesis as “the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole.”

What’s the plural of synthesis?

The plural of synthesis (i.e., syntheses), is irregular. While it ends in –es as a plural (and, in this sense, follows the regular plural noun form), it does so by replacing its suffix as a singular noun. This is unusual in English grammar. Typically, to form a plural, you would add the -es/-s: books, phones, dogs and cats all form a plural by adding an s to demonstrate plurality. It’s an easy, simple, and straightforward way to form a plural noun—just add the s.

This rule of pluralization doesn’t work in the case of synthesis, hypothesis, thesis, synopsis, crisis, oasis,  diagnosis (the list goes on). Each of these nouns/words were introduced to Modern English from the Greek; “a synthesis,” comes from Greek Greek synthesis “composition, a putting together,” from syntithenai “put together, combine,” from syn- “together”. These irregular, Greek words all modify the same way from singular to plural. See the chart below.

💡Study Tip

“synthesis” is singular and “syntheses” is plural, visualize one whole composition (synthesis) versus multiple compositions (syntheses).

Nouns that end in -sis/-ses

‍‍

singular plural
synthesis syntheses
crisis crises
diagnosis diagnoses
oasis oases
synopsis synopses
thesis theses
Greek nouns in English

Examples of “synthesis” in context

1. Her synthesis of feminism and socialism ran counter to all other historical currents.

2. His novels are a rich synthesis of Balkan history and mythology.

3. This kind of lighting encourages vitamin D synthesis in the skin.

4. There are procedures for the synthesis of organic compounds from elements.

5. The vitamin participates in the human body’s synthesis of proteins for cellular growth, development, differentiation and ability to adhere to one another.

Examples of “syntheses” in context

1. Retinoic acid is derived mainly by local syntheses through the enzymatic oxidation of retinol.

2. Some of them have already been synthesized and approbated, the syntheses and testing of others is still forthcoming.

3. Over the course of his career, he has taught electromagnetics, communication and information theory, circuit syntheses, and coherent optics.

4. He provided valuable syntheses on taphonomy and biogeography along with numerous papers detailing new species.

5. Various derivatives of tropolone have been synthesized, and recently three independent syntheses of tropolone have been described.

Synonyms of synthesis/syntheses

  • admixture
  • amalgamation
  • combination
  • conflation
  • alloy  
  • composite
  • mixture
  • meld  
  • blend
  • fusion
  • integration
  • coalescence

‍‍

What’re personal pronouns?

What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?

Whose vs who’s?

Work Sheet

Question 1 of 10

What is the correct plural form of the word “synthesis”?



According to the blog post, which of the following words follows a similar irregular pluralization pattern to “synthesis”?



The blog post mentions that the word “synthesis” originated from which language?



Based on the blog post’s usage notes, which sentence uses “synthesis” correctly?



The blog post highlights that the plural form of “synthesis” is unusual in English because it forms the plural by:



The team completed three different for the project.



Please provide a brief of your findings.



Her of feminism and socialism ran counter to all other historical currents.



The paper described several interesting , each offering a new perspective.



There are various methods for the of organic compounds from elements.





Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the plural of synthesis?
+

The plural of “synthesis” is “syntheses”. Unlike most English nouns, it forms its plural by changing its ending from -is to -es, rather than just adding -s or -es to the word.

Is “synthesis” singular or plural?
+

According to the post, “synthesis” is the singular form. The plural form is “syntheses”. Remember to use “synthesis” when referring to one composition or combination of parts, as shown in the.

Why is synthesis plural form irregular?
+

The post explains that “synthesis” and similar words like “thesis” or “crisis” came from Greek. These Greek-origin nouns ending in -sis form their plural irregularly by changing the -is suffix to -es.

How do you pronounce synthesis?
+

The singular “synthesis” is pronounced sin·thuh·sis, as stated in the post. The plural form, “syntheses,” has a different pronunciation, ending in -seas (sin·thuh·seas), also detailed in the text.

When do I use synthesis vs syntheses?
+

Use “synthesis” for one item, like “a new synthesis of the available evidence.” Use “syntheses” for multiple items, such as “three different syntheses for the project.” The post illustrates these.

Yash, D. "What’s the Plural of Synthesis?." Grammarflex, Jun 3, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-synthesis/.

Sources

  1. Definition of synthesis.

The latest from the Grammarflex blog

From grammar and writing to style and clarity, our experts tackle the biggest questions in English and content creation.