photosynthetic

P3H4O1T1O1S1Y4N1T1H4E1T1I1C3

adjective

Of, relating to, or employing photosynthesis.

Opposite
nonphotosynthetic
OriginEnglish synthetic ← French synthétique ← Ancient Greek συνθετικός (sunthetikós) →
Less commonScrabble 27
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Meanings

adjectivephotosynthetic (comparative more photosynthetic, superlative most photosynthetic)

comparative more photosynthetic · superlative most photosynthetic

  1. Of, relating to, or employing photosynthesis.
    1 more example

    Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis:[…]. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom.

    2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiverelating to or using or formed by photosynthesis

Opposite
nonphotosynthetic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

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. Ancient Greekσυνθετικός (sunthetikós)
  20. Frenchsynthétique
  21. Englishsynthetic
  22. Englishphotosynthetic

From photo- + synthetic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan fotosintètic
  • fotosintèticof or relating to photosynthesis
Finnish fotosynteettinen, yhteytys-
  • fotosynteettinenof or relating to photosynthesis
  • yhteytys-of or relating to photosynthesis
  • yhteyttäväof or relating to photosynthesis
German photosynthetisch
  • photosynthetischof or relating to photosynthesis
Hungarian fotoszintetikus
  • fotoszintetikusof or relating to photosynthesis
Irish fótaisintéiseach
  • fótaisintéiseachof or relating to photosynthesis
Italian fotosintetico
  • fotosinteticoof or relating to photosynthesis
Polish fotosyntetyczny
  • fotosyntetycznyof or relating to photosynthesis
Russian фотосинтети́ческий
  • фотосинтети́ческий (fotosintetíčeskij)of or relating to photosynthesis
Spanish fotosintético
  • fotosintéticoof or relating to photosynthesis
Turkish fotosentetik
  • fotosentetikof or relating to photosynthesis
Ukrainian фотосинтети́чний
  • фотосинтети́чний (fotosyntetýčnyj)of or relating to photosynthesis
Cite this entry
APA

photosynthetic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photosynthetic

MLA

“photosynthetic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photosynthetic. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “photosynthetic,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/photosynthetic.

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