polysynthetic

P3O1L1Y4S1Y4N1T1H4E1T1I1C3
/ˌpɒlisɪnˈθɛtɪk/

adjective

Characterized by a prevalence of relatively long words containing a large number of morphemes. Typically, the morphemes are bound.

Similar
agglutinativesynthetic
OriginEnglish synthetic ← French synthétique ← Ancient Greek συνθετικός (sunthetikós) →
Scrabble 26
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Meanings

adjectivepolysynthetic (comparative more polysynthetic, superlative most polysynthetic)

comparative more polysynthetic · superlative most polysynthetic

  1. grammarCharacterized by a prevalence of relatively long words containing a large number of morphemes. Typically, the morphemes are bound.

    "No doubt, sir," Summerlee answered. "Like all such tribes, I shall expect to find them of polysynthetic speech and of Mongolian type." "Polysynthetic certainly," said Challenger, indulgently.

    1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC
  2. chemistryHaving layers of twin crystals

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveforming derivative or compound words by putting together constituents each of which expresses a single definite meaning

Similar
agglutinativesynthetic
Also see
agglutinativesynthetic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
  3. Ancient Greekπολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)
  4. Englishpoly-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  6. Proto-Indo-European*ḱómder.?
  7. Proto-Indo-European*sem-der.?
  8. Proto-Hellenic*ksún
  9. Ancient Greekσύν (sún)
  10. Ancient Greekσυν- (sun-)
  11. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*dʰédʰeh₁ti
  13. Ancient Greekτίθημι (títhēmi)
  14. Ancient Greekσῠντῐ́θημῐ (sŭntĭ́thēmĭ)
  15. Ancient Greekσύνθεσις (súnthesis)
  16. Ancient Greekσυνθετικός (sunthetikós)
  17. Frenchsynthétique
  18. Englishsynthetic
  19. Englishpolysynthetic

From poly- + synthetic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian полисинтети́чен
  • полисинтети́чен (polisintetíčen)polysynthetic
Catalan polisintètic
  • polisintèticpolysynthetic
Chinese Mandarin 多式綜合語的 /多式综合语的
  • 多式綜合語的 /多式综合语的polysynthetic
Danish polysyntetisk
  • polysyntetiskpolysynthetic
Dutch polysynthetisch
  • polysynthetischpolysynthetic
Esperanto polisinteza
  • polisintezapolysynthetic
Finnish polysynteettinen
  • polysynteettinenpolysynthetic
French polysynthétique
  • polysynthétiquepolysynthetic
German polysynthetisch
  • polysynthetischpolysynthetic
Greek πολυσυνθετικός
  • πολυσυνθετικός (polysynthetikós)polysynthetic
Italian polisintetico
  • polisinteticopolysynthetic
Norwegian polysyntetisk
  • polysyntetiskpolysynthetic
Polish polisyntetyczny
  • polisyntetycznypolysynthetic
Portuguese polissintético
  • polissintéticopolysynthetic
Russian полисинтети́ческий
  • полисинтети́ческий (polisintetíčeskij)polysynthetic
Spanish polisintético
  • polisintéticopolysynthetic
Swedish polysyntetisk
  • polysyntetiskpolysynthetic
Cite this entry
APA

polysynthetic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysynthetic

MLA

“polysynthetic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysynthetic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polysynthetic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysynthetic.

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