synthesis

In chemistry, the formation of a substance or compound from more elementary compounds. The synthesis of a drug can involve several stages from the initial material to the final product; the complexity of these stages is a major factor in the cost of production.

synthesis

Technique of generating sound by artificial means, either by using electronic devices such as oscillators and filters, or by using a computer. See electronic music; Fourier transform.

synthesis

In literary plots, the resolving and satisfying of an often complicated pattern of characters and relationships.

Synthesis often involves a balancing of the plot, where characters come together and no character is left outside the final union, as in the marriages that conclude Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice or in the neat conclusions of Shakespeare's comedies.