analogue

American  

[an-l-awg, -og] / ˈæn lˌɔg, -ˌɒg /

Or analog

noun

1. something having analogy to something else.

2. Biology. an organ or part analogous to another.

3. Chemistry. one of a group of chemical compounds similar in structure but different in respect to elemental composition.

4. a food made from vegetable matter, especially soybeans, that has been processed to taste and look like another food, as meat or dairy, and is used as a substitute for it.

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analogue British  

/ ˈænəˌlɒɡ /

noun

1. 1. a physical object or quantity, such as a pointer on a dial or a voltage, used to measure or represent another quantity

   2. ( as modifier )

      analogue watch

      analogue recording

2. something analogous to something else

3. biology an analogous part or organ

4. chem

   1. an organic chemical compound related to another by substitution of hydrogen atoms with alkyl groups

      toluene is an analogue of benzene

   2. an organic compound that is similar in structure to another organic compound

      thiols are sulphur analogues of alcohols

5. informal a person who is afraid of using new technological devices Compare digital native digital immigrant

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Etymology

Origin of analogue

1820–30; < French < Greek análogon, neuter of análogos analogous; replacing earlier analogon < Greek

Explanation

Think of analogue as referring to something parallel or comparable to something else. For example, a lobster's claw might be considered an analogue to the human hand, as both have similar functions of grabbing and holding. Keep your claws to yourself! The word analogue (also spelled analog) comes from the Greek ana, meaning "up to," and logos, meaning, among other things, "ratio" and "proportion." In 1946, it entered computer language as an adjective to describe a type of signal that is continuous in amplitude. It has since been largely replaced by a digital signal. Analogues are often used in college entrance exams, i.e., "a is to b as c is to d."

Example Sentences

But looking to past memory cycles as an analogue to the current boom “misses the point,” Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore said in a Thursday note.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

If men’s basketball is the U.S.’s most popular and professional-filled team sport at the Summer Olympic Games, then men’s ice hockey is its Winter Olympics analogue.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

In 1981, researchers created the silicon analogue of cyclopropenium -- an aromatic molecule in which a three membered carbon ring was replaced by a three membered silicon ring.

From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026

Limited production capacity for the blockbuster drug led the FDA to temporarily allow pharmacies to create so-called "compound" or copycat versions of Wegovy and Ozempic, an analogue used to treat diabetes.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

This was the personal analogue for Terryl of her zeal at work.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• analog