syn·e·sis
(sĭn′ĭ-sĭs)n. A construction in which a form, such as a pronoun, differs in number but agrees in meaning with the word governing it, as in If the group becomes too large, we can split them in two.
[Greek
sunesis,
union, understanding, from
sunīenai,
to understand, bring together :
sun-,
syn- +
hīenai,
to send, hurl; see
yē- in
Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
synesis
(ˈsɪnɪsɪs) n (Grammar) a grammatical construction in which the inflection or form of a word is conditioned by the meaning rather than the syntax, as for example the plural form have with the singular noun group in the sentence the group have already assembled
[via New Latin from Greek sunesis union, from sunienai to bring together, from syn- + hienai to send]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
syn•e•sis
(ˈsɪn ə sɪs)
n. a construction in which an expected grammatical agreement in form is replaced by an agreement in meaning, as in The crowd rose to their feet, where a plural pronoun is used to refer to a singular noun.
[1890–95; < New Latin < Greek
sýnesis understanding = syn(i)-é(nai) to bring together, perceive, understand (syn-
syn- +
hiénai to throw, send) +
-sis -sis]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
synesis
the practice of using a grammatical construction that conforms with meaning rather than with strict regard for syntax, such as a plural form of a verb following a singular subject that has a plural meaning.
See also: Grammar-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.