synchronization

/ˌsɪŋkrənaɪˈzeɪʃən/ Technical / Formal

Say it: sing-kruh-nuh-ZAY-shun

1. noun The action of causing two or more activities or processes to happen at the same time or rate.
The swimmers achieved perfect synchronization, hitting the water at the exact same moment.
2. noun In computing, the process of keeping multiple copies of a set of data consistent with one another.
The app's main feature is the automatic synchronization of your contacts between your phone and laptop.
3. noun In film and audio, the matching of sound with the corresponding visual action.
Poor lip synchronization can make a dubbed foreign film very distracting to watch.

📖 Seen in the wild

The dancers achieved perfect synchronization, moving as one fluid unit across the stage.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ synchronization in a sentence

The successful launch required the synchronization of hundreds of small procedures.
Cloud services rely on constant data synchronization to ensure you see the same files on all your devices.
Let's schedule a meeting to ensure the synchronization of our marketing and sales efforts for the new product.
The dancers' synchronization was breathtaking; they moved as a single organism.
The main problem with the video call was the poor synchronization between the audio and the video.
Fireflies flashing in a group is a famous example of biological synchronization in nature.
The team's victory was a result of excellent synchronization between the offense and defense.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

coordination alignment unison concurrence harmony integration meshing congruity

coordination · focuses on arranging parts to work together harmoniously, not necessarily at the exact same instant.

alignment · suggests bringing things into a correct or corresponding position relative to each other.

unison · specifically refers to things done or said together as one, often in music or speech.

concurrence · implies agreement or events happening at the same time, sometimes by chance.

Opposites: desynchronization, asynchrony, misalignment, discord, disarray

🌱 Where it comes from

The word comes from the Greek 'synkhronos', meaning 'happening at the same time', which combines 'syn' (together) and 'chronos' (time). It entered English through the verb 'synchronize' in the 17th century, first referring to historical events occurring together. Its use expanded dramatically with technologies like film, electronics, and computing, which all require precise timing and data consistency.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

data synchronizationin synchronization withachieve synchronizationperfect synchronizationlip synchronizationclock synchronization

'Synchronization' is a formal and often technical term. In everyday conversation, people usually use the abbreviation 'sync' (pronounced sink), especially in computing contexts like 'Let me sync my phone'. Be careful not to confuse it with 'synchronicity', which is a psychological term for meaningful coincidences.

Word family: synchronize, synchronous, asynchronous, synchronicity, sync

💬 Quick answers

What does synchronization mean in simple terms?

It is the process of making things happen at the same time or keeping different sets of information identical across multiple locations.

What is the difference between synchronization and coordination?

Synchronization is about precise timing, making things happen at the exact same moment. Coordination is broader, involving arranging different elements to work together effectively, which may or may not involve simultaneous action.

What is the short form of synchronization?

The common abbreviation is 'sync' (e.g., 'to sync your files' or 'out of sync'). It is widely used in informal and technical contexts.

What is data synchronization?

It is the ongoing process of ensuring that the same data stored in different places, like your phone and a cloud server, is updated and remains identical.

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