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.
Caroline trusts her gut, while I’m more deliberate, analytical and systematic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
In English, the models tended to favor more individualistic and analytical responses, while in Chinese, they placed greater emphasis on relationships and broader context.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
“New ways of valuing shares give some surprising answers…Clearly, something is going on that the old analytical concepts cannot account for.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Nagy's team contributed analytical capabilities that helped the researchers determine how the cells were still obtaining cysteine from cystine despite lacking a working disulfide reductase system.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
Theresa came home to find Helen lost in a panoply of analytical tools, all laid out on the kitchen table.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
