synchronized
synchronized
UK[ˈsɪŋkrənaɪzd]US[ˈsɪŋkrənaɪzd]
adj
happening or existing at the same time or rate.
adj
(of devices or systems) operating in unison.
Morpheme Breakdown
syn
chron
ized
syn
together
chron
time
ized
made, adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'synchronized' is built upon the greek elements 'syn-' (together) and 'chronos' (time), which combine to form the concept of things occurring in unison or sharing the same temporal rhythm. the greek verb 'synchronizein' meant "to be contemporary with", passing into late latin as 'synchronizare'. the english form adopted the past participle suffix '-ed' from the verb 'synchronize', transforming it into an adjective that describes a state of being made to occur together in time. this etymological journey from the literal greek notion of "together-time" perfectly encapsulates the modern technical and general meanings of coordinated simultaneous action.
Analysis
Structure: syn (together) + chron (time) + ized (made, adjective suffix)
- syn: from greek, meaning "together, with". a prefix indicating union or association.
- chron: from greek 'chronos', meaning "time". a root denoting time.
- ized: from greek -izein via latin -izare and old french -iser, a verb-forming suffix meaning "to make, to become", with the -ed form creating a past participle used as an adjective meaning "made to be".
Examples
the swimmers performed a perfectly synchronized routine.
all the clocks in the building are synchronized to the master time server.
the film's soundtrack needs to be synchronized with the video footage.