Michael addition is a type of nucleophilic addition reaction, which involves the addition of a nucleophile to an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound. However, the term "Michael addition" is not the only way to refer to this chemical reaction. Other synonyms for the Michael addition include conjugate addition, 1,4-addition, and Michael-type addition. These alternate names refer to the reaction mechanism, which involves the addition of a nucleophile to the β-carbon of a carbonyl, followed by conjugate addition to the α-carbon. Regardless of the name, the Michael addition is a key reaction in organic chemistry and is used in many synthetic transformations.