Designating a synthetic method in which a desired molecule is hypothetically broken into simpler fragments over a number of steps, allowing a procedure for synthesizing the molecule to be devised; relating to or involving this method.
Origin
1970s.
Definition of retrosynthetic in US English:
retrosynthetic
adjective
Chemistry
Designating a synthetic method in which a desired molecule is hypothetically broken into simpler fragments over a number of steps, allowing a procedure for synthesizing the molecule to be devised; relating to or involving this method.