semisynthetic

1 7.7

A substance people change with chemicals so it is partly natural and partly human-made

adjective
/ˌsɛmɪsɪnˈθɛtɪk/

Specialized

: semisintético

In the pharmaceutical industry, semisynthetic drugs are often preferred for their enhanced efficacy and lower side effects.

Examples

Twelve percent were used as is, 63 percent were semisynthetic, and 4 percent were developed on the basis of pharmacological properties found in natural products.

Academic text (1995)
In 2008, semisynthetic opioids replaced methadone as the most common opioid causing mortality.

Academic text (2018)
Rifampin (Rifadin) - A semisynthetic derivative of rifamycin that is produced by Streptomyces mediterranei.

Academic text (2005)
The researchers developed a semisynthetic version of the antibiotic to improve its stability and effectiveness.
Semisynthetic materials combine natural compounds with synthetic elements to create more effective products.

Antonyms

natural

∞ 1.0

Not made or changed by people, coming from nature like sunlight

synthetic

Specialized

10 5.3

A substance made by people instead of from natural sources

How Synthetic

synthetic

Specialized

10 5.3

artificial

273 3.6

semisynthetic

Specialized

1 7.7

modified

78 3.9

natural

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

semisynthetic positive

Morphology

semisynthetic = synthetic (semi-transparent) = semi + synthetic

The word is transparently formed with semi- meaning 'partly' and the adjective synthetic, yielding the expected sense 'partly synthetic'.

Etymology

Semisynthetic breaks into semi- meaning 'partly' and synthetic meaning 'made by putting parts together'. So a semisynthetic drug or material is partly natural and partly made or changed in a lab.