- a variation of analyze.
analyse
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to examine in detail in order to discover meaning, essential features, etc
-
to break down into components or essential features
to analyse a financial structure
-
to make a mathematical, chemical, grammatical, etc, analysis of
-
another word for psychoanalyse
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of analyse
C17: back formation from analysis
Explanation
To analyse (analyze is U.S. English) something is to consider it in detail so you can figure out its workings or meaning. Analyse comes from Greek roots meaning "loosen." If you analyse something, it's as if you're untying it and letting the different parts separate so that you can study them. If you've got some mystery substance, you can analyse it by performing chemical reactions to break it into its parts. If you analyse a poem, you look at it word-by-word and even sound-by-sound. But remember that analyse is a British spelling, with analyze as the American version.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"It's an incredibly exciting time, the kind of event every astro-particle physicist dreams of, and we can't wait to analyse more data to see if additional candidate events appear."
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
The Jewish way of thinking "helped me to analyse the conflict and what I wanted to do, and how I want to be involved in this conflict in a different way", he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
"We have a good chemistry. We don't over analyse it."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
With a flash of light, 2,000 photographs are taken of my body, in the hope of capturing every mark, freckle and mole to analyse for different skin cancers.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
She can cut to the nub of a problem, dissect and analyse it in the time it takes other people to say good morning.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Ismail Fahmi, founder of data analytics company Media Kernels Indonesia, analysed about 29,000 social media posts between July and August and uncovered a campaign that amplified threats of looting and unrest, while downplaying protesters' demands.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
At least 15 attacks were reported since the start of the year, according to reports from the IMO's Global Integrated Shipping Information System analysed by AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
BBC Verify analysed the 94 second-long clip, which showed the car driving on footpaths and parkland in Ormesby, Middlesbrough, with Saddington a rear-seat passenger.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
While more than 100 people within the Belfast Trust physically took part, the study also analysed the data of 491 patients living with chronic pain in Northern Ireland.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Borelli treated the body as a system of levers acted on by the forces exerted by the muscles, and analysed geometrically how muscles in the human body acted in walking and running.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
By analysing biological samples alongside day-to-day symptom information, the team hopes to identify markers that could eventually help clinicians recognise problems sooner and tailor treatment more effectively.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
AFP therefore complemented the global picture by independently analysing data from the European Copernicus programme.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
According to the Manila-based Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, which tracks adoption by analysing satellite imagery of rooftops, only half a percent of the country's available roof space is so far equipped for solar.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The scientific divers who found the sample were mapping and analysing seaweeds to check on the health of Cornish maerl beds, a project organised by Natural England.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
By it, not only the elements of the heavenly bodies have been determined, but remarkable results have been had in analysing well-known metals and discovering new ones.
From Inventions in the Century by William Henry Doolittle
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
