Organic vs. Synthetic: What's the Difference?
Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Published on November 8, 2023
Organic pertains to naturally occurring or derived from living organisms, while synthetic refers to man-made or artificially produced materials.
Key Differences
Organic typically refers to substances derived from living organisms or the processes they undergo. This term often evokes ideas of naturalness and wholesomeness. On the contrary, synthetic pertains to materials or substances that humans have created or modified, often in laboratories or manufacturing settings.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
In agriculture, organic farming practices avoid using synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Instead, they employ natural methods and materials to cultivate crops. Synthetic farming, on the other hand, may utilize man-made chemicals to promote growth and protect against pests.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
When discussing materials, organic substances might include materials like cotton, wool, or wood, which originate from plants or animals. Synthetic materials, such as plastics or nylon, are often produced through chemical processes in industries and don't have natural origins.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
In chemistry, organic typically describes compounds containing carbon, often in relation to living systems. However, synthetic in this context refers to the creation of compounds through deliberate and controlled chemical reactions, which might or might not be organic in nature.
Sara Rehman
Nov 08, 2023
From a consumer's perspective, organic products often suggest healthfulness, environmental friendliness, or ethical production. Meanwhile, synthetic products might be valued for their durability, consistency, or cost-effectiveness.
Aimie Carlson
Nov 08, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Origin
Naturally occurring or from living organisms
Man-made or artificially produced
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Materials
Natural origins (e.g., cotton, wool)
Produced industrially (e.g., plastics)
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Chemistry
Typically carbon-based compounds
Created through deliberate reactions
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Consumer Perception
Natural, healthy, environmentally friendly
Durable, consistent, cost-effective
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Organic and Synthetic Definitions
Organic
Pertaining to or derived from living organisms.
The farmer used only organic methods, avoiding chemical pesticides.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 27, 2023
Synthetic
Imitating a natural product.
She wore a synthetic fur coat during the winter months.
Janet White
Oct 27, 2023
Organic
Produced without synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms.
Many people prefer organic foods for their perceived health benefits.
Sara Rehman
Oct 27, 2023
Synthetic
Artificially made or produced, not natural.
The jacket was made from synthetic leather.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 27, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Synthetic
Created through chemical synthesis.
The medication was synthetic, designed specifically for the condition.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 27, 2023
Synthetic
Not genuine or authentic; artificial.
The actor's accent sounded synthetic and unconvincing.
Harlon Moss
Oct 27, 2023
Organic
Of, marked by, or involving the use of fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin
Organic vegetables.
An organic farm.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals
Organic chicken.
Organic cattle farming.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
(Chemistry) Produced by synthesis, especially not of natural origin.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Not natural or genuine; artificial or contrived
“counterfeit rhetoric that flourishes when passions are synthetic” (George F. Will).
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
(Linguistics) Relating to or being a language, such as Latin or Russian, that uses inflectional affixes to express syntactic relationships.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Resembling a living organism in organization or development; interconnected
Society as an organic whole.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Logic & Philosophy Relating to or being a proposition that attributes to a subject a predicate not inherent in the subject, not following necessarily from logically true statements.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Of or relating to a financial instrument or investment that consists entirely of derivatives, especially swap contracts.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
(Law) Denoting or relating to the fundamental or constitutional laws and precepts of a government or an organization.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
(chemistry) Produced by synthesis instead of being isolated from a natural source (but may be identical to a product so obtained).
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
A substance, especially a fertilizer or pesticide, of animal or vegetable origin.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
(medicine) Produced by synthesis, thought to have the same effect as its natural counterpart, but chemically different from it.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
(grammar) Pertaining to the joining of bound morphemes in a word (compare analytic).
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
(linguistics) Of a language, having a grammar principally dependent on the use of bound morphemes to indicate syntactic relationships (compare analytic).
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
(chemistry) Relating to the compounds of carbon, relating to natural products.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
(agriculture) Of food or food products, grown in an environment free from artificial agrichemicals, and possibly certified by a regulatory body.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Of or pertaining to synthesis; consisting in synthesis or composition; as, the synthetic method of reasoning, as opposed to analytical.
Philosophers hasten too much from the analytic to the synthetic method; that is, they draw general conclusions from too small a number of particular observations and experiments.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
(sociology) Describing a form of social solidarity theorized by Emile Durkheim that is characterized by voluntary engagements in complex interdependencies for mutual benefit (such as business agreements), rather than mechanical solidarity, which depends on ascribed relations between people (as in a family or tribe).
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
(military) Of a military unit or formation, or its elements, belonging to a permanent organization (in contrast to being temporarily attached).
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Comprising within itself structural or other characters which are usually found only in two or more diverse groups; - said of species, genera, and higher groups. See the Note under Comprehensive, 3.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to a certain destined function or end.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Generated according to the ranking algorithms of a search engine, as opposed to paid placement by advertisers.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially;
Man-made fibers
Synthetic leather
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Developing in a gradual or natural fashion.
The writing of the script was an organic process.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Involving or of the nature of synthesis (combining separate elements to form a coherent whole) as opposed to analysis;
Limnology is essentially a synthetic science composed of elements...that extend well beyond the limits of biology
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Harmonious; coherent; structured.
The production came together in an organic whole.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Systematic combining of root and modifying elements into single words
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Of a proposition whose truth value is determined by observation or facts;
`all men are arrogant' is a synthetic proposition
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Artificial as if portrayed in a film;
A novel with flat celluloid characters
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
(science fiction) A living organism, as opposed to a robot or hologram.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Not genuine or natural;
Counterfeit rhetoric that flourishes when passions are synthetic
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Of or pertaining to an organ or its functions, or to objects composed of organs; consisting of organs, or containing them; as, the organic structure of animals and plants; exhibiting characters peculiar to living organisms; as, organic bodies, organic life, organic remains. Cf. Inorganic.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Synthetic
Produced by combining different elements.
The fuel was a synthetic blend of various compounds.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 27, 2023
Organic
Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to a certain destined function or end.
Those organic arts which enable men to discourse and write perspicuously.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Of or pertaining to compounds which are derivatives of hydrocarbons; pertaining to, or denoting, any one of a large series of carbon-containing compounds which are related to the carbon compounds produced by biological processes (such as methane, oils, fats, sugars, alcohols, ethers, proteins, etc.) and include many substances of artificial production which may or may not occur in animals or plants; - contrasted with inorganic.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Relating or belonging to the class of chemical compounds having a carbon basis;
Hydrocarbons are organic compounds
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Being or relating to or derived from or having properties characteristic of living organisms;
Organic life
Organic growth
Organic remains found in rock
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Involving or affecting physiology or bodily organs;
An organic disease
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Of or relating to foodstuff grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones;
Organic eggs
Organic vegetables
Organic chicken
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Constitutional in the structure of something (especially your physical makeup)
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 13, 2023
Organic
Relating to compounds containing carbon, typically in relation to living systems.
Petroleum is an organic compound derived from ancient plant material.
Harlon Moss
Oct 27, 2023
Organic
Natural, without artificial additives.
The juice was 100% organic with no added sugars.
Harlon Moss
Oct 27, 2023
Organic
Pertaining to the branch of chemistry dealing with carbon compounds.
She majored in organic chemistry during her college years.
Sara Rehman
Oct 27, 2023
FAQs
Is all organic chemistry related to living organisms?
No, while organic chemistry typically deals with carbon compounds, not all are related to living systems.
Janet White
Nov 08, 2023
Are all plastics synthetic?
Most commonly used plastics are synthetic, but there are bioplastics derived from organic sources.
Sara Rehman
Nov 08, 2023
Is synthetic leather real leather?
No, synthetic leather is an artificial alternative to real leather.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
What does organic farming avoid?
Organic farming avoids synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Are all organic products environmentally friendly?
Not always. Some organic practices can still have environmental impacts.
Aimie Carlson
Nov 08, 2023
Are organic foods always pesticide-free?
No, organic foods might use natural pesticides, but avoid synthetic ones.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Can synthetic materials be as durable as natural ones?
Often, synthetic materials are designed to be more durable and resistant than organic counterparts.
Aimie Carlson
Nov 08, 2023
Are synthetic drugs less effective than natural ones?
Effectiveness depends on the drug, not its origin. Some synthetic drugs can be more potent or stable than natural alternatives.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Why do some consumers prefer organic products?
Some prefer organic for perceived health, environmental, or ethical reasons.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Does organic always mean healthier?
Not necessarily. While organic avoids certain chemicals, it doesn't guarantee a product is healthier overall.
Aimie Carlson
Nov 08, 2023
Why are some synthetic products cheaper?
Synthetic products can be mass-produced and might use less expensive raw materials.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Is organic farming the same worldwide?
While principles are similar, organic farming standards might vary by country.
Sara Rehman
Nov 08, 2023
Can organic foods contain synthetic additives?
For a product to be labeled organic, it usually must contain a minimum amount or no synthetic additives.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Can synthetic materials be environmentally friendly?
Some synthetic materials are designed to be biodegradable or recyclable, enhancing their environmental profile.
Harlon Moss
Nov 08, 2023
Are synthetic gems the same as natural gems?
Synthetic gems have the same physical properties as natural ones but are created artificially.
Janet White
Nov 08, 2023
Are there synthetic alternatives to most organic materials?
Many organic materials have synthetic alternatives, though not all can fully replicate organic properties.
Janet White
Nov 08, 2023
Can synthetic products imitate organic ones?
Yes, many synthetic products, like fragrances or fabrics, can closely imitate their organic counterparts.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
How are synthetic chemicals created?
Synthetic chemicals are created through controlled chemical reactions in labs or industries.
Sawaira Riaz
Nov 08, 2023
Is organic certification standardized?
Organic certification is based on set standards, but these can differ between certifying bodies.
Sara Rehman
Nov 08, 2023
Can organic materials be processed or refined?
Yes, organic materials like cotton or oil can undergo processing or refining.
Harlon Moss
Nov 08, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira RiazSawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma SaeedHuma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.
