analyse

American  

[an-l-ahyz] / ˈæn lˌaɪz /

verb (used with object)

Chiefly British.

analysed, analysing

1. a variant of analyze.

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analyse British  

/ ˈænəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to examine in detail in order to discover meaning, essential features, etc

2. to break down into components or essential features

   to analyse a financial structure

3. to make a mathematical, chemical, grammatical, etc, analysis of

4. another word for psychoanalyse

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Other Word Forms

• analysable
  adjective
• analysation
  noun
• analyser
  noun

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

AI models will then be used to analyse thousands of responses to "map what could bring us together".

From BBC • May 17, 2026

Platforms also analyse audience demographic data to create show concepts.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Following the chatbots' advice, he paid $3,000 to have Rosie's genome sequenced, and used the same online tools to analyse her DNA data.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The regularity of England being forced to analyse an away Ashes hammering inevitably leads to recurring themes.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 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