Etymologically
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sync

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:21. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /sɪŋk/[1]

Etymology

It is a shortening of synchronization or synchronize,[2][3][4][5] also spelled synch.[2][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Synchronization of film soundtracks, in the phrases in sync and out of sync: 1929.[2][3][4]

Semantic evolution

The verb, to synchronize, is by 1930, as in Variety's headline about synced silents.[2] The general sense, harmony or agreement (in sync with the times), is by 1961.[2][3]

Timeline

  • 1929 – in sync (film).[2][3]
  • 1930 – to sync (verb).[2]
  • 1961 – harmony, agreement.[2][3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (informal) Synchronization, especially of sound and picture: out of sync.
  2. Harmony or agreement: in sync with each other.

Verb

  1. (informal) To synchronize, as files between devices.

Word family

  • lip-sync

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins