synoptic

adjective

syn·​op·​tic sə-ˈnäp-tik How to pronounce synoptic (audio)
variants or less commonly synoptical
1
: affording a general view of a whole
2
: manifesting or characterized by comprehensiveness or breadth of view
3
: presenting or taking the same or common view
specifically, often capitalized : of or relating to the first three Gospels of the New Testament
4
: relating to or displaying conditions (as of the atmosphere or weather) as they exist simultaneously over a broad area
synoptically adverb

Examples of synoptic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The verse is from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic Gospels in the New Testament. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2024 These verses come from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2023 Cases using the expertise of forensic meteorologists usually involve looking at precise location weather events, and much of the problem-solving involves knowing what synoptic data is needed to reconstruct the meteorology at a very specific location at some point in the past. Jim Foerster, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 Perhaps by way of coping with likely scant or underdecorated sets, the Braggs use a recurring trope of overhead shots, which create a metaphorical sense of Mr. Sharpe’s synoptic yet distanced overview of his own past. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2023 Click on the image to enlarge it to get a dramatic synoptic view. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2018 To fully grasp their impact, there's no better perspective than the synoptic one available from space. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2019 In contrast, synoptic scale features have horizontal lengths greater than 1,000 kilometers, while microscale features have widths less than 1 kilometer. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 29 May 2018 The image above, from the Suomi NPP satellite, shows a more synoptic view of the storms. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'synoptic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek synoptikos, from synopsesthai

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of synoptic was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near synoptic

Cite this Entry

“Synoptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synoptic. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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