Standard Lemma guide

synchronize

verb · 12 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.

  • Canada: /ˈsɪŋ.kɹə.naɪːz/
  • UK: /ˈsɪŋ.kɹə.naɪz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S IH1 NG K R AH0 N AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To cause two or more events or actions to happen at exactly the same time or same rate, or in a time-coordinated way.

To occur at the same time or with coordinated timing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, intransitive, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sync, synch, sync up

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cause two or more events or actions to happen at exactly the same time or same rate, or in a time-coordinated way.

To cause (video and audio) to play in a coordinated way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sync, synch, sync up

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To set (a clock or watch) to display the same time as another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

Examples

  • We synchronized our watches and agreed to meet at four o'clock precisely.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To cause (a set of files, data, or settings) on one computer or device to be (and try to remain) the same as on another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, ambitransitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To agree, be coordinated with, or complement well.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To coordinate or combine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

make synchronous and adjust in time or manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Let's synchronize our efforts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: synchronise, sync

Antonyms: desynchronize

Broader terms: adjust, set, correct

Narrower terms: phase

8

verb

Meaning 8

cause to indicate the same time or rate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • synchronize your watches

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: synchronise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: align, aline, line up, adjust

9

verb

Meaning 9

operate simultaneously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The clocks synchronize

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: synchronise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: operate, control

10

verb

Meaning 10

arrange or represent events so that they co-occur

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • synchronize biblical events

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: synchronise, contemporize, contemporise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: arrange, set up, put, order

11

verb

Meaning 11

make (motion picture sound) exactly simultaneous with the action

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • synchronize this film

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: synchronise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: dub

12

verb

Meaning 12

happen at the same time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: synchronise, contemporize, contemporise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱómder.? Proto-Indo-European *sem-der.? Proto-Hellenic *ksún Ancient Greek σύν (sún) Ancient Greek σῠν- (sŭn-) Ancient Greek συγ- (sug-) Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos) Ancient Greek σῠ́γχρονος (sŭ́nkhronos) Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Ancient Greek συγχρονίζω (sunkhronízō)der. English synchronize From Ancient Greek συγχρονίζω (sunkhronízō), equivalent to syn- + chrono- + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: زَامَنَ (zāmana) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Asturian: sincronizar — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Belarusian: сінхранізава́ць (sinxranizavácʹ) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Catalan: sincronitzar — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 同步 (tóngbù) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Chinese Mandarin: 同步化 (tóngbùhuà) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Czech: synchronizovat — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Danish: synkronisere — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Dutch: synchroniseren — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Esperanto: sinkronigi — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Finnish: synkronoida — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Finnish: tahdistaa — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • French: synchroniser — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Galician: sincronizar — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • German: synchronisieren — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Greek: συγχρονίζω (synchronízo) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Hungarian: szinkronizál — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Hungarian: összehangol — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Hungarian: összeigazít — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Icelandic: samstilla — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Indonesian: menyinkronkan — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Italian: sincronizzare — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Japanese: 同調する (dōchō suru) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Japanese: 同期する (dōki suru) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Japanese: シンクロナイズさせる (shinkuronaizu saseru) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Kazakh: синхрондау (sinxrondau) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Māori: whakatukutahi — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Māori: whakatautokorua — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Norwegian: synkronisere — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Polish: synchronizować — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Portuguese: sincronizar — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Romanian: sincroniza — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Russian: синхронизирова́ть (sinxronizirovátʹ) — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Spanish: sincronizar — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Spanish: poner en hora — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Swedish: synkronisera — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Tagalog: ipagsabay-sabay — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Turkish: senkronize etmek — cause two events to have coordinated timing
  • Ukrainian: синхронізува́ти (synxronizuváty) — cause two events to have coordinated timing