synergy
noun
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An old saying, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts", expresses the basic meaning of synergy. The word is sometimes used in a purely physical sense, especially when talking about drugs; sometimes a "cocktail" of drugs may be more effective than the sum of the effectiveness of each of the separate drugs. But the word is best known in the world of business. The notion that, when the right two companies merge, they'll produce a profitable synergy seemed exciting in the 1990s, when synergy became a trendy buzzword (even though it's actually been around since the 17th century). The idea of synergy was one factor in what became a "merger mania;" unfortunately, business synergy often turned out to be harder to achieve than to imagine.
Examples of synergy in a Sentence
Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2025
Oftentimes CFOs are focused on what’s the cost synergy, the headcount reduction or the opportunity to scale this business?
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Other analysts warned about limited synergies in combining two different banks.
—Silvia Amaro, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2025
April begins with an electric synergy of passion and excitement, as Mars meets Uranus in a sultry sextile, while harmonizing with Saturn on April 4.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for synergy
Cite this Entry
“Synergy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synergy. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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