The combined effect of multiple elements working together that is greater than the sum of their individual effects. Often used in business to describe collaborative advantages.
From Greek 'synergos' meaning working together, composed of 'syn-' (together) and 'ergon' (work). The term was first used in English in the 17th century in medical contexts, later adopted by business in the 20th century.
Synergy became the ultimate business buzzword of the 1990s, but the concept is ancient - Aristotle wrote that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.' The word perfectly captures why teams of draft horses can pull more weight together than their individual capacities added up, a phenomenon that applies from biology to boardrooms.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.