“Synthetic Life”: Oxymoron or the Future ''synthetic'' means ''artificial'' and something which is artificial can't be ''alive''. It is easy to understand that the word ''synthetic'' is somehow incompatible with the word ''life''. That is why the writer describes this type of relation between the two words, as ''oxymoron'', in other words as ''paradox'', meaning that they are completely unrelated to each other and can't be combined together. However, due to the recent advances in science, we were able to synthesize artificial living cells, and thus the term ''synthetic life'' can no longer be considered as ''oxymoron''. I hope it helped. Please ask me again if there is anything you don't understand.

Yes, there have an oxymoron when you say: I am living dead, that dark light, and violent relaxation. I do not know for what could serve an oxymoron if it sound a bit stupid.

It is a figure of speech, like "You need war to have peace". It is not supposed to make sense, although it sometimes does, but to make an impression on the listener. Figures of speech were probably created by orators to make an impression to an audience, to dazzle and confuse them, or have them believe that they have uncovered some profound knowledge.