synergy

Where does the word "synergy" come from? It comes from Greek synergia, passing through Late Latin before entering English (1650s).

Synergy’s story begins in Greek: synergia meant “cooperation.” 'working together', from 'syn-', together, and 'ergon', work. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Late Latin as synergia. Used in theology for the cooperation of human will with divine grace. It reached English by 1650s as synergy. Its business sense of combined effect became a corporate buzzword in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, synergy means the combined effect of things working together.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient synergia "cooperation", 'working together', from 'syn-', together, and 'ergon', work.
2. Stage 2 · Late Latin · ancient synergia "cooperation", used in theology for the cooperation of human will with divine grace.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1650s synergy "combined effect", its business sense of combined effect became a corporate buzzword in the 1980s and 1990s.