analytical
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of analytical
First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin analyticus analytic ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
What do Sherlock Holmes and Albert Einstein have in common? (No, this is not the start of a joke.) They were both analytical — meaning they were good at breaking down problems into smaller parts to find solutions. The adjective, analytical, and the related verb analyze can both be traced back to the Greek verb, analyein — "to break up, to loosen." If you are analytical, you are good at taking a problem or task and breaking it down into smaller elements in order to solve the problem or complete the task. The opposite type of problem-solving is called the intuitive approach in which a person senses the correct action to take without proof or reasoning. Analytic can be substituted for analytical in this sense.
Vocabulary lists containing analytical
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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Ungifted
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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.
As Mr. Hahn emphasizes, it calls for analytical rigor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
"GreenDrill really demonstrated that, if you can logistically pull it off, there is the technology available to drill down to the bedrock and there's an analytical toolkit to then analyze it," Briner says.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026
Hottovy, head of analytical research at the location-analytics provider.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
That’s the first analytical step they take, and again, they spend most of the opinion on that.
From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026
The game’s requirement of both analytical and people- reading skills made it a favorite of the engineers, and they spent many a lunch hour in fierce competition.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
