synoptic
adjective
syn·op·tic
sə-ˈnäp-tik 
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
Examples of synoptic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This verse is from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible, and is about the baptism of Jesus Christ — celebrated in the Catholic faith on Jan. 12.
—
Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
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
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Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Synoptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synoptic. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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