Need a word to describe the state of negative synergy. If synergy is
where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, then negative
synergy would be where the sum of the parts is less than the sum of
the parts.

I would prefer a word that already exists but will consider a newly
coined word that makes sense.

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 12 Oct 2005 07:47 PDT

"The opposite of synergy is antagonism, the phenomenon where two
agents in combination have an overall effect which is less than the
sum of their individual effects."

WIKIPEDIA: SYNERGY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergism

Does this work for you?

tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 12 Oct 2005 08:03 PDT

Synergy is essentially ?mutual effort?

THESAURUS.COM
http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?q=synergy

Therefore, the opposite of synergy could be seen as ?autonomy?,
?competition?, ?opposition?, ?rivalry?, ?undermining?. In a phrase,
the term ?synergistic opposition? (which is not a new phrase, by the
way) would be an accurate description of what is taking place in your
hypothetical scenario.

Other phrase might be:

Synergistic antagonism

Synergistic conflict

Synergistic counteraction

Synergistic contradiction

Synergistic juxtaposition

Synergistic failure

Synergistic disturbance

Synergistic malfunction



How?s that?

Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 12 Oct 2005 08:30 PDT

On further thought, perhaps something Latin would suffice. I don't
speak Latin but if you are open to a new phrase I threw these together
with the help of a Latin dictionary:

Synergia diversus

Synergia adversus

Synergia contra

Synergia oppono opposui oppositum

Synergia repugno

Synergia defectum

That ought to keep you busy a while.

Tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by synergic-ga on 13 Oct 2005 00:01 PDT

I appreciate the efforts expended so far. Since this is my first post,
please forgive me for not providing sufficient information up front.

I had consulted the "Reverse Dictionary" at http://onelook.com for the
phrase "Negative Synergy" in addition to
http://thesaurus.reference.com for antonyms. As a result, I had
already considered a couple of the words suggested.

It would have helped if I had provided a sample sentence. I did have
in mind an unwise corporate merger. So the word Antagonism, though the
entry in Wikipedia suggests it is the opposite of synergy, doesn't
work. The word Counterproductive also doesn't feel right since it
doesn't address the sum of parts.

For now, I am leaning toward the word Dyssynergy because most business
people will get its meaning if used in regards to the consequences of
unwise combinations. Also, it gets a hit here
http://mediasavvy.com/archives/000021.shtml (The Atlantic Monthly's
Word Fugitives is looking for an antonym for "synergy").

I came up with the word on my own after considering the suggestions by
galincog-ga of "Dysergy" and "Anti-Synergy". Does that mean the civil
thing for me to do would be to award galincog-ga with the answer fee?
How would I do that?

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 13 Oct 2005 01:56 PDT

Hello synergic-ga,

What would you think of antergy? I found several references to it
while looking up dysergy. Please see my comment below.

://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q=%22negative+synergy%22+OR++antergy+OR+dysergy

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by synergic-ga on 13 Oct 2005 10:15 PDT

Czh-ga. I like your comments the best. Please submit Antergy as the
answer to collect the fee.

Hello synergic-ga,

This was a truly fun search. It seems you're not the only one who felt
the need for a word to capture the energy of dissolution and
antagonism to contrast with the energy of coming together and
attraction that synergy fits so well. I'm glad you liked antergy. It
seems to be just entering common use.

Here are the links I listed in my comment as the official answer.

Thank you for accepting my answer.

~ czh ~



http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n2_v158/ai_8060517
Out with synergy, in with antergy

That's one part of it. Investors don't have the same mindset as food
company executives. They buy to make money, not to create "synergies."

John Connor, an agricultural economist at Purdue University, offers
this explanation: "Antergy is the new theory of leveraged
buyouts--take something, divide it up into little pieces, sell it off
and it's worth more that way than it was as a whole."

------------------------

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:TA5kHwpyQhkJ:www.socsci.kun.nl/psy/bp/gitte.html+antergy&hl=en
Method to analyse interactions

If the points lie below this line then there is supra-additivity
(synergy) and if they lie above this line then there is
infra-additivity (sub-additivity, antergy, antagonism). The isobole
method explicitly takes drug load into account.

------------------------

https://mailman.rice.edu/pipermail/sasialit/2002-June/011024.html
Bhagwan Chowdhry in Atlantic Monthly!

And in my favourite page too, Word Fugitive, the lat
one!

With the winning entry for responding to the question
"Is there an antonym for Synergy?" with "Is looking
for an antonym for Synergy equivalent to looking for a
synonym for Antergy?"

------------------------

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/fugitives/synergy.htm
Word Fugitives archives

I think antergy is possible but might imply complete cancellation as in ...
I came also to -antergy- by following the same reasoning from Mark to Mike. ...
www.theatlantic.com/unbound/fugitives/synergy.htm - Similar pages 

------------------------

http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/2250/DSTO-RR-0173.pdf
The term ?antergy? has been proposed as a candidate label for this type of.
interaction and as an antonym for the noun ?synergy?, 

------------------------

http://www.uncle-andrew.net/blog/?m=20050519
5/19/2005
May The Neologism Be With You
Filed under: Kneel, O Jism!? Uncle Andrew @ 9:10 pm 
Here?s one I came up with just today.

Antergy: a condition in which the total quality or effect of something
is ultimately less than the sum of its parts.


===============
SEARCH STRATEGY
===============

negative synergy
opposite synergy
antonym synergy

Excellent answer. I'm going to be using more of this service. There
are some really smart people out there and this is a great way to
reach them.

You might try "dysergy".  A number of sources use it in the way you seek:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dysergy
http://futurepositive.synearth.net/2002/02/22
http://www3.sympatico.ca/cypher/synergistic.htm
http://www.pseudodictionary.com/search.php?letter=d&browsestart=1020
(many more if you google "dysergy")

Though I believe it is actually the misuse of a medical term.

Anti-synergy may be clearer and more accurate.

"Counterproductive" would be the appropriate adjective, e.g., a
"counterproductive effort" or a "counterproductive merger", though I
think that I would use it differently:  The merger of Chrysler and
Daimler is/was/has proven counterproductive;  or:  Instead of the
expected synergy, the cooperation/project turned out to be
counterproductive.
Myoarin

I liked this definition since it fits your example of "unwise
corporate merger" beautifully. It seems dysergy is in fairly common
use for "negative synergy." The search also led to antergy as a
possibility.

http://www.doctorshealthsupply.com/ab/vitamin_glossary_S.htm
Vitamin Glossary "S" 

synergy-when chemicals or drugs are used together, they may show
negative or positive synergy. Positive synergy occurs when the sum of
the effects of chemicals acting together is greater than the additive
effects of the individual chemicals. NEGATIVE SYNERGY OCCURS WHEN THE
SUM OF EFFECTS OF THE MIXTURE IS LESS THAN THAT OF THE INDIVIDUAL
COMPONENTS OF THE MIX. Antioxidant mixtures commonly exhibit positive
synergy, although negative synergy can also occur.

------------------------

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n2_v158/ai_8060517
Out with synergy, in with antergy

That's one part of it. Investors don't have the same mindset as food
company executives. They buy to make money, not to create "synergies."

John Connor, an agricultural economist at Purdue University, offers
this explanation: "Antergy is the new theory of leveraged
buyouts--take something, divide it up into little pieces, sell it off
and it's worth more that way than it was as a whole."

------------------------

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:TA5kHwpyQhkJ:www.socsci.kun.nl/psy/bp/gitte.html+antergy&hl=en
Method to analyse interactions

If the points lie below this line then there is supra-additivity
(synergy) and if they lie above this line then there is
infra-additivity (sub-additivity, antergy, antagonism). The isobole
method explicitly takes drug load into account.

------------------------

https://mailman.rice.edu/pipermail/sasialit/2002-June/011024.html
Bhagwan Chowdhry in Atlantic Monthly!

And in my favourite page too, Word Fugitive, the lat
one!

With the winning entry for responding to the question
"Is there an antonym for Synergy?" with "Is looking
for an antonym for Synergy equivalent to looking for a
synonym for Antergy?"

------------------------

http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/fugitives/synergy.htm
Word Fugitives archives

I think antergy is possible but might imply complete cancellation as in ...
I came also to -antergy- by following the same reasoning from Mark to Mike. ...
www.theatlantic.com/unbound/fugitives/synergy.htm - Similar pages 

------------------------

http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/2250/DSTO-RR-0173.pdf
The term ?antergy? has been proposed as a candidate label for this type of.
interaction and as an antonym for the noun ?synergy?, 

------------------------

http://www.uncle-andrew.net/blog/?m=20050519
5/19/2005
May The Neologism Be With You
Filed under: Kneel, O Jism!? Uncle Andrew @ 9:10 pm 
Here?s one I came up with just today.

Antergy: a condition in which the total quality or effect of something
is ultimately less than the sum of its parts.

Thank you very much for the affirmation, the five stars and very generous tip.

~ czh ~