Showing Results for "analytical"

See Also:

• a variation of analytic.

analytical

American  

[an-l-it-i-kuhl] / ˌæn lˈɪt ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. a variant of analytic.

---

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.

Related Words

• analytic
• cogent
• detailed
• diagnostic
• interpretive
• investigative
• penetrating
• rational
• scientific
• systematic
• thorough