synthetic element
English
editNoun
editsynthetic element (plural synthetic elements)
- A chemical element that does not occur naturally (on Earth) and must be synthesized (manufactured).
Usage notes
edit- May or may not include elements that occur naturally on Earth, but in such small amounts that they are, for most practical purposes, synthetic: technetium, promethium, astatine, francium, neptunium, and plutonium.