Why is the Gospel According to Luke called a Synoptic Gospel?

The Gospel According to Luke is classified as a Synoptic Gospel because it presents a common view of the life and death of Jesus Christ that is strikingly similar to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.12

The term "Synoptic" is derived from the Greek word synoptikos, meaning "seen together". Since the 1780s, these three books have been grouped together because their structure, content, and wording are so closely aligned that they can be arranged in parallel columns—a "synopsis"—to facilitate direct comparison.31

This similarity is largely attributed to literary dependency. Scholars generally agree that St. Luke utilized the Gospel of Mark as a primary source, incorporating approximately 50 percent of its material while following its narrative sequence. Furthermore, the shared material between Luke and Matthew that is absent in Mark suggests that both evangelists may have drawn from an additional common source. Despite these shared characteristics, Luke’s Gospel remains distinct, offering unique accounts such as the infancy narratives and the Ascension.2