synergy

[sin-er-jee]

noun

plural

synergies 

1. the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.; synergism.

2. Physiology, Medicine/Medical.,  the cooperative action of two or more muscles, nerves, or the like.

3. Biochemistry, Pharmacology.,  the cooperative action of two or more stimuli or drugs.

synergy

/ sɪˈnɜːdʒɪk, ˈsɪnədʒɪ /

noun

1. Also called: synergism. the potential ability of individual organizations or groups to be more successful or productive as a result of a merger

2. another name for synergism

Other Word Forms

• synergic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of synergy¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin synergia, from Greek synergía, from synerg(ós) “working together” ( synergism ) + -ia -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of synergy¹

C19: from New Latin synergia, from Greek sunergos; see _synergism

Example Sentences

More deals could come in the form of mergers or purchase offers from larger utilities because of the potential synergies.

Read more on Barron's

But cost synergies are easier, meaning a combined company could eliminated redundant costs and driver higher profits than the two stand-alone entities could achieve.

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With an advantageous geographic footprint, ongoing synergies flowing to the bottom line, and growing energy demand, it also looks like one of the best buys in the industry.

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“But at the same time the point of merging is to create synergies and to create the critical mass to carry large projects together.”

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That, along with “synergies and strong demand” for products and integrations from its Red Hat and HashiCorp acquisitions, “will drive incremental upside to growth over the coming quarters,” he said.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• teamwork 

When To Use

What does synergy mean?

Synergy refers to when an interaction of elements produces an effect that is greater than the effect that would have resulted from simply adding up the effects of each individual element.In other words, synergy is what happens when a combination of things produces an effect or result that is said to be “greater than the sum of its parts.”When you combine things—chemicals, ingredients, people—you often expect these things to interact in a certain way based on what has been included. But when something extra happens, something greater, this is synergy. Synergy implies that the magic is in the combination, as opposed to in the individual elements themselves.Synergy can be used in all kinds of contexts. A food critic might say that a particular dish is delicious due to the synergy of its ingredients. In the business world, the word synergy is often seen as a kind of buzzword that’s used as a way of referring to what makes a certain project or venture successful.Synergy is also used in a more specific way in the context of medicine to refer to the cooperation of multiple body parts, such as muscles or nerves. It can also refer to the interaction of drugs or other stimuli. The things that cooperate in this way can be called synergists.The word synergism can be used to mean the same thing as synergy. The adjective synergistic can be used to describe a combination that produces such an effect or things that work together in this way.Example: The cooperation between these departments produced a synergy that led to great success.