analogy

American  

[uh-nal-uh-jee] / əˈnæl ə dʒi /

noun

plural

analogies

1. a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based.

   the analogy between the heart and a pump.

   Synonyms:

   affinity, similitude, resemblance, likeness, comparison

2. similarity or comparability.

   I see no analogy between your problem and mine.

   Synonyms:

   correspondence

3. Biology. an analogous relationship.

4. Linguistics.

   1. the process by which words or phrases are created or re-formed according to existing patterns in the language, as when shoon was re-formed as shoes, when -ize is added to nouns like winter to form verbs, or when a child says foots for feet.

   2. a form resulting from such a process.

5. Logic. a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be similar to another thing in a certain respect, on the basis of the known similarity between the things in other respects.

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analogy British  

/ əˈnælədʒɪ, ˌænəˈlɒdʒɪkəl /

noun

1. agreement or similarity, esp in a certain limited number of features or details

2. a comparison made to show such a similarity

   to draw an analogy between an atom and the solar system

3. biology the relationship between analogous organs or parts

4. logic maths a form of reasoning in which a similarity between two or more things is inferred from a known similarity between them in other respects

5. linguistics imitation of existing models or regular patterns in the formation of words, inflections, etc

   a child may use ``sheeps'' as the plural of ``sheep'' by analogy with ``dog'', ``dogs'', ``cat'', ``cats'', etc

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analogy Cultural  

1. A comparison of two different things that are alike in some way (see metaphor and simile). An analogy attributed to Samuel Johnson is: “Dictionaries are like watches; the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.”

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Usage

What is an analogy? An analogy is a comparison made to show how two different things are similar, especially in limited ways. An analogy is a technique frequently used in literature to explain something by comparing it to something else (a literary device). There are several types of analogies you can make. A simile directly compares two seemingly unrelated things and then explains what the two items have in common to make a point. Similes often use like or as to make the comparison, as in Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. The analogy says that life, like an unlabeled box of chocolates, is mysterious and full of both pleasant and unpleasant surprises. A metaphor indirectly compares two things, as in He was a wolf among sheep in the boardroom, taking command instantly. Instead of the analogy saying the corporate executive was like a ferocious predator, it says he is a ferocious predator. The analogy makes the point that the man was aggressive and dominated the other people in the room. Analogies are complex and often rely on a reader or listener using logic to figure out what connection the user of the analogy is making. In other areas of study, such as math and science, analogies are used to infer, or to figure out through reason and logic, unknown information. For example, if you know how A is similar to B and how B is similar to C, using reason you can determine how A is similar to C.

Other Word Forms

• analogical
  adjective
• analogically
  adverb
• analogist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of analogy

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin analogia, from Greek; see analogous, -y ³

Explanation

When you draw an analogy between two things, you compare them for the purpose of explanation. The movie character Forrest Gump made a silly analogy famous: "Life is like a box of chocolates." Some standardized tests still have "analogy questions," which are given in this format: A : B :: C : ___ (read "A is to B as C is to what?"). This is a more formalized version of something we do every day: compare one thing to another. It's a useful way of speaking — if a scientist explains that the earth's forests function as its lungs, we understand the analogy to mean that both trees and lungs take in important elements from the air. But when Forrest Gump says life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what you're going to get, that's a pretty brainless analogy.

Example Sentences

“It’s a crude analogy, but if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, and your rent doubles in a relatively short period of time, you could be in trouble,” Morales said.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Daniel says the lyrics address the difficulties of making decisions in an era of information overload – which explains his inability to pick an analogy and stick to it.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

“The analogy is, I need a new garage, and you tell me I have to buy a new house,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Worryingly, Jones draws a close analogy with the present-day situation as he expects the deluge of planned IPO issuance this year, in the form of SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI, to inundate the market completely.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

The psychologist gave Reggie an analogy relating to airline travel.

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

Related Words

• comparison
• correlation
• metaphor
• parallel