photosynthesis

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UK/ˌfəʊ.təʊˈsɪn.θə.sɪs/UK[ˌfəʊ.tʰəʊˈsɪn̪.θə.sɪs]US/ˌfoʊ.toʊˈsɪn.θə.sɪs/US[ˌfŏʊ.ɾoʊˈsɪn̪.θə.sɪs]

noun

Principally, oxygenic photosynthesis, any process by which plants and algae convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy.

OriginEnglish synthesis ← Latin synthesis ← Ancient Greek σύνθεσις (súnthesis) →
Less commonScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounphotosynthesis (usually uncountable, plural photosyntheses)

plural photosyntheses

  1. Any process by which plants and other photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy.
    1. uncountableusuallybiochemistryPrincipally, oxygenic photosynthesis, any process by which plants and algae convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy.

      Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy.

      2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist
    2. uncountableusuallybiochemistryAlso, nonoxygenic photosynthesis, used by purple and green bacteria, heliobacteria, and acidobacteria.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰéh₂os
  3. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáwos
  4. Ancient Greekφᾰ́ος (phắos)
  5. Ancient Greekφῶς (phôs)
  6. Ancient Greekφωτο- (phōto-)
  7. Englishphoto-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  9. Proto-Indo-European*ḱómder.?
  10. Proto-Indo-European*sem-der.?
  11. Proto-Hellenic*ksún
  12. Ancient Greekσύν (sún)
  13. Ancient Greekσυν- (sun-)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  15. Proto-Indo-European*dʰédʰeh₁ti
  16. Ancient Greekτίθημι (títhēmi)
  17. Ancient Greekσῠντῐ́θημῐ (sŭntĭ́thēmĭ)
  18. Ancient Greekσύνθεσις (súnthesis)
  19. Latinsynthesis
  20. Englishsynthesis
  21. Englishphotosynthesis

From photo- + synthesis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans fotosinthese
  • fotosinthesebiological process
Arabic تَمْثِيل ضَوْئِيّ, تَرْكِيب ضَوْئِيّ
  • تَمْثِيل ضَوْئِيّ (tamṯīl ḍawʔiyy)biological process
  • تَرْكِيب ضَوْئِيّ (tarkīb ḍawʔiyy)biological process
Bengali সালোকসংশ্লেষ, সালোকসংশ্লেষণ
  • সালোকসংশ্লেষ (śalōkśoṅsleś)biological process
  • সালোকসংশ্লেষণ (śalōkśoṅsleśon)biological process
Bulgarian фотосинтеза
  • фотосинтеза (fotosinteza)biological process
Catalan fotosíntesi
  • fotosíntesibiological process
Chinese Mandarin 光合作用
  • 光合作用 (guānghé zuòyòng)biological process
Czech fotosyntéza
  • fotosyntézabiological process
Danish fotosyntese
  • fotosyntesebiological process
Dutch fotosynthese
  • fotosynthesebiological process
Esperanto fotosintezo
  • fotosintezobiological process
Finnish fotosynteesi, yhteyttäminen
  • fotosynteesibiological process
  • yhteyttäminenbiological process
French photosynthèse
  • photosynthèsebiological process
German Photosynthese
  • Photosynthesebiological process
Greek φωτοσύνθεση
  • φωτοσύνθεση (fotosýnthesi)biological process
Hawaiian kāʻamaʻai
  • kāʻamaʻaibiological process
Hebrew פוטוסינתזה
  • פוטוסינתזה (fotosinteza)biological process
Hindi प्रकाश-संश्लेषण
  • प्रकाश-संश्लेषण (prakāś-sañśleṣaṇ)biological process
Hungarian fotoszintézis
  • fotoszintézisbiological process
Icelandic ljóstillífun
  • ljóstillífunbiological process
Indonesian fotosintesis
  • fotosintesisbiological process
Irish fótaisintéis
  • fótaisintéisbiological process
Italian fotosintesi
  • fotosintesibiological process
Japanese 光合成
  • 光合成 (kōgōsei)biological process
Korean 광합성
  • 광합성 (gwanghapseong)biological process
Latin photosynthesis
  • photosynthesisbiological process
Latvian fotosintēze
  • fotosintēzebiological process
Lithuanian fotosintezė
  • fotosintezėbiological process
Malay fotosintesis
  • fotosintesisbiological process
Māori ahotakakame
  • ahotakakamebiological process
Norwegian Bokmål fotosyntese
  • fotosyntesebiological process
Persian نورساخت
  • نورساخت (nursâxt)biological process
Polish fotosynteza
  • fotosyntezabiological process
Portuguese fotossíntese
  • fotossíntesebiological process
Punjabi ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸੰਸਲੇਸ਼ਣ
  • ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸੰਸਲੇਸ਼ਣ (prkāś sansleśaṇ)biological process
Romanian fotosinteză
  • fotosintezăbiological process
Russian фотоси́нтез
  • фотоси́нтез (fotosíntɛz)biological process
Scottish Gaelic foto-cho-chur
  • foto-cho-churbiological process
Spanish fotosíntesis
  • fotosíntesisbiological process
Swahili usanisinuru, usanidimwanga
  • usanisinurubiological process
  • usanidimwangabiological process
Swedish fotosyntes
  • fotosyntesbiological process
Tagalog potosintesis
  • potosintesisbiological process
Tamil ஒளிச்சேர்க்கை
  • ஒளிச்சேர்க்கை (oḷiccērkkai)biological process
Thai การสังเคราะห์แสง
  • การสังเคราะห์แสง (kār s̄ạngkherāah̄̒ s̄æng)biological process
Turkish fotosentez, ışılbireşim
  • fotosentezbiological process
  • ışılbireşimbiological process
  • ışık yardımı ile besin biriktirme sürecibiological process
Ukrainian фотоси́нтез
  • фотоси́нтез (fotosýntez)biological process
Vietnamese quang hợp
  • quang hợpbiological process
Welsh ffotosynthesis
  • ffotosynthesisbiological process
Zulu ukwakhiwa kokudla kwesihlahla
  • ukwakhiwa kokudla kwesihlahlabiological process
Cite this entry
APA

photosynthesis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photosynthesis

MLA

“photosynthesis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photosynthesis. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “photosynthesis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photosynthesis.

Source: photosynthesis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.