analysis

American  

[uh-nal-uh-sis] / əˈnæl ə sɪs /

noun

analyses plural

1. the separating of any material or abstract entity into its constituent elements (opposed to synthesis).

2. this process as a method of studying the nature of something or of determining its essential features and their relations.

   the grammatical analysis of a sentence.

3. a presentation, usually in writing, of the results of this process.

   The paper published an analysis of the political situation.

4. a philosophical method of exhibiting complex concepts or propositions as compounds or functions of more basic ones.

5. Mathematics.

   1. an investigation based on the properties of numbers.

   2. the discussion of a problem by algebra, as opposed to geometry.

   3. the branch of mathematics consisting of calculus and its higher developments.

   4. a system of calculation, as combinatorial analysis or vector analysis.

   5. a method of proving a proposition by assuming the result and working backward to something that is known to be true.

6. Chemistry.

   1. intentionally produced decomposition or separation of materials into their ingredients or elements, as to find their kind or quantity.

   2. the ascertainment of the kind or amount of one or more of the constituents of materials, whether obtained in separate form or not.

7. psychoanalysis.

8. Computers. systems analysis.

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analysis British  

/ əˈnælɪsɪs /

noun

1. the division of a physical or abstract whole into its constituent parts to examine or determine their relationship or value Compare synthesis

2. a statement of the results of this

3. short for psychoanalysis

4. chem

   1. the decomposition of a substance into its elements, radicals, or other constituents in order to determine the kinds of constituents present ( qualitative analysis ) or the amount of each constituent ( quantitative analysis )

   2. the result obtained by such a determination

5. linguistics the use of word order together with word function to express syntactic relations in a language, as opposed to the use of inflections Compare synthesis

6. maths the branch of mathematics principally concerned with the properties of functions, largely arising out of calculus

7. philosophy (in the writings of Kant) the separation of a concept from another that contains it Compare synthesis

8. after everything has been given due consideration

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analysis Scientific  

/ ə-năl′ĭ-sĭs /

1. The separation of a substance into its constituent elements, usually by chemical means, for the study and identification of each component.

2. ◆ Qualitative analysis determines what substances are present in a compound.

3. ◆ Quantitative analysis determines how much of each substance is present in a compound.

4. A branch of mathematics concerned with limits and convergence and principally involving differential calculus, integral calculus, sequences, and series.

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Usage

Plural word for analysis The plural form of analysis is analyses, pronounced [ uh-nal-uh-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -is are also formed in the same way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, crisis/crises, and axis/axes. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices. Irregular plurals that are formed like analyses derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek. Do you know: What is the plural of thesis?

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misanalysis
  noun
• overanalysis
  noun
• reanalysis
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• analyses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of analysis

First recorded in 1575–85; from New Latin, from Greek, equivalent to analȳ́(ein) “to loosen up” ( ana- “up, against, back” + lȳ́ein “to loosen”) + -sis noun suffix; see ana-, -sis

Explanation

Use the noun analysis to refer to the way you understand something by looking at it in different ways and studying its different parts. Analysis is a noun that is used in many ways and by many fields. It makes sense, since it is "a method of studying the nature of something or of determining its essential features and their relations," which means everyone does it at some point. In fact, every time you solve a problem you use analysis. Analysis is also shorthand for psychoanalysis, used for understanding psychological and mental processes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

analysis analyses

The image contained an artificial intelligence watermark indicating it had been created using AI tools, an analysis by the Reuters news agency found.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

In total, 26 immigration lawyers have faced disciplinary actions nationwide this year as of late June, according to an analysis of data published by the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Ukraine's underground storage operator, Ukrtransgaz, presented earlier this year an analysis showing that Croatia's LNG terminal could provide the cheapest route to supply the country.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

He prefers to make a longer-term analysis of valuations and concludes that memory chip businesses tend to spend too much in good times.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Using linkage analysis, geneticists could even trace an actual configuration of genes that evolved to make the progeny infertile.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Chinese commercial AI startup MizarVision has been posting on social media its analyses of U.S. military deployments based on satellite imagery—including the movements of American aircraft carriers and bombers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

For decades, its analyses informed policy on issues ranging from criminal justice to immigration to urban development.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

The findings also remained consistent across additional analyses, supporting their reliability.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Recent analyses based on participant-reported health information found that consuming 1-3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was not associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation or abnormal heart rhythm.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

It goes some- how against the grain to learn that cost-benefit analyses can be done neatly on lakes, meadows, nesting gannets, even whole oceans.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• evaluation
• finding
• interpretation
• judgment
• opinion
• reasoning
• report
• study
• summary