Standard Lemma guide

synaptic

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /sɪˈnæp.tɪk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æptɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: S IH2 N AE1 P T IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to a synapse—the junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: medicine, physiology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or relating to a synapsis—the association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, cytology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

(neuroscience) of or involving synapses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From New Latin synapticus, from Ancient Greek συναπτικός (sunaptikós, “capable of adjusting”).

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: sinàptic — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Czech: synaptický — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Finnish: synaptinen — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • French: synaptique — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • German: synaptische — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Greek: συναπτικός (synaptikós) — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Italian: sinaptico — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Polish: synaptyczny — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Portuguese: sináptico — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Russian: синаптический (sinaptičeskij) — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Spanish: sináptico — junction between the terminal of a neuron and another cell
  • Finnish: synaptinen — association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis
  • Greek: συναπτικός (synaptikós) — association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis
  • Polish: synaptyczny — association of homologous maternal and paternal chromosomes during the initial part of meiosis
Real reading context

synaptic in complete knowledge articles