analyse
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to examine in detail in order to discover meaning, essential features, etc
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to break down into components or essential features
to analyse a financial structure
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to make a mathematical, chemical, grammatical, etc, analysis of
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another word for psychoanalyse
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"In a year we would analyse 1,000-1,500 samples, often in case of paternity or crime scenes," said Mukul Pradhan, chief scientific officer at the National Forensic Science Laboratory.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
"Those skills absolutely can be taught. Students learn how to plan and produce video content, develop campaigns, understand audiences, analyse performance data and adapt strategies based on that data."
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
But I've had enough of second-guessing myself and panicking I'm poisoning my child if I feed him chicken nuggets, so I've given my shopping list to a dietitian to analyse.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
"But as an academic, it is not terrifying if you can describe it – that's how you analyse and manage it."
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
But it was interesting, once I started to analyse and sort the examples, to discover that the greengrocer’s apostrophe formed just one depressing category of the overall, total, mind-bogglingly depressing misuse of the apostrophe.
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
BBC Verify has analysed satellite imagery which appears to show these ship-to-ship transfers, seemingly more protected from Iranian attack, taking place off the coast of the Omani port city, Sohar.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
But the way City analysed it underlines their incredibly forensic approach even when, outwardly, it might be considered they did not need to be so comprehensive given Anderson's obvious talents.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
That became evident only after the animals were dissected and genetically analysed in the field laboratory.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
After every game, they returned to Kansas City - and the effects of the travelling will be analysed.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Radio programmes analysed the merits of different interpretations of the same pieces, while there were always new reasons to hear, say, Mozart afresh, thanks to the selling point of newly researched performance techniques.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
In a statement, Metro said it still formally owned the company but no longer had "operational control over its Russian subsidiary" and was analysing what the decision meant for the company.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
And by analysing the chemistry of these mudstones, we could determine whether oxygen was present in the ancient seawater.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
Pangram claims it is able to "detect AI text by analysing and understanding subtle cues in the writing".
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
They are also analysing plants that the elephants use - looking for new medicines that the elephants themselves may have discovered.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
In analysing the state of mind which this measured dancing produces, we must first of all allow for the pleasant glow of excitement caused by the excess of blood sent to the brain.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9 "Dagupan" to "David" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
