analogy

noun

anal·o·gy | \ ə-ˈna-lə-jē

plural analogies

Definition of analogy

1a : a comparison of two otherwise unlike things based on resemblance of a particular aspect

b : resemblance in some particulars between things otherwise unlike : similarity

2 : inference that if two or more things agree with one another in some respects they will probably agree in others

3 : correspondence between the members of pairs or sets of linguistic forms that serves as a basis for the creation of another form

4 : correspondence in function between anatomical parts of different structure and origin — compare homology

Choose the Right Synonym Digging Into the Most Common Meaning of Analogy Example Sentences Learn More about analogy

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Choose the Right Synonym for analogy

likeness, similarity, resemblance, similitude, analogy mean agreement or correspondence in details. likeness implies a closer correspondence than similarity which often implies that things are merely somewhat alike. a remarkable likeness to his late father some similarity between the two cases resemblance implies similarity chiefly in appearance or external qualities. statements that bear little resemblance to the truth similitude applies chiefly to correspondence between abstractions. two schools of social thought showing points of similitude analogy implies likeness or parallelism in relations rather than in appearance or qualities. pointed out analogies to past wars

Digging Into the Most Common Meaning of Analogy

In its most common use, analogy has to do with comparison of things based on those things being alike in some way. For example, one can make or draw an analogy between the seasons of the year and the stages of life. People also reason by way of analogy, asserting, for example, that abandoning a project is like leaving a house partway built. Although an analogy can be summarized quickly, as in these examples, an analogy actually encompasses the comparison or inference itself, and is therefore different from figures of speech, like metaphors and similes, which are forms of expression.

Some tests ask you to identify analogies, finding the second of a pair that has the same relationship as a completed pair. Analogy tests often look like this:

ice : cold :: steel : ____

a. hard b. loud c. fresh d. small

Because the relationship between ice and cold is that coldness is a quality of ice, the word that goes with steel is hard, since hardness is a quality of steel.

The word analogy (which comes from analogous) traces back by way of Latin to a Greek word meaning "proportionate." That word has a root in the Greek word logos, meaning "reason."

Examples of analogy in a Sentence

He does, though, suffer from the occupational deformation of international relations specialists: an enthusiasm for ransacking the past in search of precedents, analogies, patterns, and cycles that might explain the present and forecast the future. — Tony Judt, New York Book Review, 10 Apr. 2003 People who do this call themselves "white-hat" hackers—good people who show other people their vulnerabilities. Take the following analogy: I've designed a great new lock pick, and I'm going to give this great new gadget away to show everyone that the typical door lock is ineffective against my new pick. — John C. Dvorak, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2000 It has often been said that movie stars are the royalty of America. (The better analogy, really, is that the royals are the movie stars of Britain.) — Neal Gabler, Life: The Movie, 1998 Parts of the far-infrared sky look like colonies of spiders gone mad. The fine structure seen there is called cirrus, by analogy with filamentary clouds on Earth. — Virginia Trimble et al., Sky & Telescope, January 1995

Recent Examples on the Web

The question is how to interpret the bizarre analogy between a fluid of rubidium atoms in a lab in Israel and the mysterious astrophysical abysses most often created when huge stars exhaust their fuel and collapse inward. — Quanta Magazine, "Philosophers Debate New ‘Sonic Black Hole’ Discovery," 27 Aug. 2019 During my travels along the new frontier, Cold War analogies always fell flat. Easier to grasp was the Arctic’s overall absence from the North American mind. — Neil Shea, National Geographic, "A thawing Arctic is heating up a new Cold War," 21 Aug. 2019 The wildness of Caputo’s woods — which teem with bears, wolves, icy rivers and other hazards — finds an analogy in the wilderness of the human soul. — Julia M. Klein, chicagotribune.com, "Philip Caputo hits his target in skillful new novel, 'Hunter’s Moon’," 12 Aug. 2019 Josh Sitton The top-of-mind analogy to the Daniels release is Sitton, the veteran Pro Bowl lineman who was shockingly cut in the final days of training camp in 2016. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "After the stunning departure of Mike Daniels, a look at other surprising Packers roster cuts in the past 25 years," 24 July 2019 The question is how to interpret the bizarre analogy between a fluid of rubidium atoms in a lab in Israel and the mysterious astrophysical abysses most often created when huge stars exhaust their fuel and collapse inward. — Wired, "A ‘Sonic Black Hole' Could Help Solve a Cosmic Paradox," 30 June 2019 Romantic analogies aside, the wording throughout occasionally feels like pandering. — Nneka Mcguire, Dallas News, "Do millennial women really need the book 'How to Skimm Your Life'? Give us more credit," 25 June 2019 Unfortunately for Sunstein, this analogy also holds when assessing the quality of his latest work. — Aaron Timms, The New Republic, "The Sameness of Cass Sunstein," 20 June 2019 There’s an analogy about resilience, Woods said, comparing dandelions and orchids. — Anchorage Daily News, "Tradition, culture, and the healing power of community," 18 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'analogy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for analogy

analogy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of analogy

: a comparison of two things based on their being alike in some way

: the act of comparing two things that are alike in some way

See the full definition for analogy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

analogy

noun

anal·o·gy | \ ə-ˈna-lə-jē\

plural analogies

Kids Definition of analogy

1 : a comparison of things based on ways they are alike He made an analogy between flying and surfing.

2 : the act of comparing things that are alike in some way She explained by analogy.

analogy

noun

anal·o·gy | \ ə-ˈnal-ə-jē

plural analogies

Medical Definition of analogy

: functional similarity between anatomical parts without similarity of structure and origin — compare homology sense 1

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analogy

Definition of analogy

Choose the Right Synonym for analogy

Digging Into the Most Common Meaning of Analogy

Examples of analogy in a Sentence

First Known Use of analogy

History and Etymology for analogy

English Language Learners Definition of analogy

Kids Definition of analogy

Medical Definition of analogy

analogy

Definition of analogy

Choose the Right Synonym for analogy

Digging Into the Most Common Meaning of Analogy

Examples of analogy in a Sentence

First Known Use of analogy

History and Etymology for analogy

English Language Learners Definition of analogy

Kids Definition of analogy

Medical Definition of analogy

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