Made by human beings through a chemical process, instead of coming from a plant, an animal, or the ground. Synthetic materials — nylon, polyester, acrylic, synthetic rubber, synthetic leather — are the ordinary use, and it can be a plain, neutral description: synthetic fibres dry faster, synthetic oil protects an engine better, and a synthetic drug can be identical to the natural one and far cheaper to make.

Made by human beings由人類製造 through a chemical process透過化學程序，instead of coming from a plant, an animal, or the ground而不是來自植物、動物或土地。Synthetic materials合成材料 — nylon, polyester, acrylic, synthetic rubber, synthetic leather尼龍、聚酯纖維、壓克力、合成橡膠、合成皮 — are the ordinary use是最常見的用法，and而且 it它 can be a plain, neutral description可以只是單純中性的描述：synthetic fibres合成纖維 dry faster乾得比較快，synthetic oil合成機油 protects an engine better比較能保護引擎，and而且 a synthetic drug合成藥物 can be identical to the natural one可以跟天然的一模一樣 and而且 far cheaper to make製造成本便宜很多。

But the word carries a second life as a criticism, and this is where students get caught. Applied to something that is not a material at all — a smile, a feeling, an apology, the atmosphere at an event — 'synthetic' means fake, manufactured, not genuinely felt. 'His sympathy was completely synthetic.' Even with materials, the word can pick up a faint sniff of 'not the real thing', which is why sellers say 'vegan leather' or 'technical fabric' rather than 'synthetic'.

But不過 the word這個字 carries a second life as a criticism還帶有批評的另一層意思，and而且 this is where students get caught這正是學生容易搞錯的地方。Applied to something that is not a material at all用在完全不是材料的東西上 — a smile, a feeling, an apology, the atmosphere at an event像笑容、感情、道歉、活動的氣氛 — 'synthetic'「synthetic」 means fake, manufactured, not genuinely felt意思是假的、做出來的、不是真心的。'His sympathy was completely synthetic.'像「His sympathy was completely synthetic」。Even with materials就算講材料，the word這個字 can pick up a faint sniff of 'not the real thing'也會帶一點「不是真的」的味道，which is why這就是為什麼 sellers賣家 say 'vegan leather' or 'technical fabric' rather than 'synthetic'會說「vegan leather」或「technical fabric」而不說「synthetic」。

It is also a noun: 'synthetics' means the man-made cloths as a group.

It它 is also a noun也可以當名詞：'synthetics'「synthetics」 means the man-made cloths as a group指的是這一類人造布料的總稱。

One more use, quite separate, in language study: a synthetic language is one that packs a lot of grammar into word endings, like Latin — no judgement involved there at all, just a technical term.

One more use, quite separate還有一個完全不同的用法，in language study在語言學裡：a synthetic language合成語 is one that packs a lot of grammar into word endings是把很多文法塞進字尾的語言，like Latin像拉丁文 — no judgement involved there at all這裡完全沒有褒貶，just a technical term只是個專有名詞。