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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

analogue

"The legacy automakers in China were bringing analogue toys to a digital party."

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

"I was born in '95, so my generation are the kind of ones who know what it's like to grow up with both analogue life and digital culture," said Hannah, from Newport.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Coyote’s” closest analogue, had an easier job layering wacky chase scenes over its critique of Los Angeles’ potholed legacy of public transportation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

"This makes the Cretaceous greenhouse climate a meaningful analogue for understanding Earth's future."

From Science Daily ● May 27, 2026

When we apply Feynman’s sum over histories to Einstein’s view of gravity, the analogue of the history of a particle is now a complete curved space-time that represents the history of the whole universe.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• analog

---