syncretic

[ sin-kret-ik ]

adjective

1. combining or bringing together different philosophical, religious, or cultural principles and practices:

   The Afro-Brazilian religion is syncretic, mingling the pantheon, practices, and beliefs brought to South America by enslaved Yorubans with the Catholicism of colonial European culture.

   Exceptional syncretic murals can be found at the site, the work of Indigenous artists who struggled with and adapted unfamiliar European subject matter after the Spanish Conquest.

2. Grammar. relating to or describing the merging of two or more inflectional categories into one:

   When word forms in a paradigm are syncretic, they can result in grammatical ambiguity because one form can have multiple functions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of syncretic¹

syncret(ism) ( def ) + -ic

Example Sentences

Such is the syncretic nature of contemporary conservatism that blatantly contradictory elements can be fused into the monstrous ideological confection we see all around us.

From Salon

Candomblé is considered a syncretic religion, meaning it draws from various faiths and traditions.

From New York Times

As Portuguese Catholic colonists brought African slaves to Brazil, the enslaved men and women developed syncretic blends of their traditional religions with Catholicism, now practiced by a small minority of Brazilians.

From Seattle Times

The syncretic religion that melds Catholicism with animist beliefs has no official leader or creeds.

From Seattle Times

It’s a reminder that Catholic ritual in Latin America is often a syncretic interpretation of existing Indigenous rite.

From Los Angeles Times