analogous

adjective

anal·​o·​gous ə-ˈna-lə-gəs How to pronounce analogous (audio)
: similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail
Timbre in music is analogous to color in painting.Aaron Copland
An airplane's joystick is somewhat analogous to the reins on a horse.
: similar in a way that invites comparison : showing an analogy or a likeness that permits one to draw an analogy
a town council and a government body that serves an analogous function
analogously adverb
analogousness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for analogous

similar, analogous, parallel mean closely resembling each other.

similar implies the possibility of being mistaken for each other.

all the houses in the development are similar

analogous applies to things belonging in essentially different categories but nevertheless having many similarities.

analogous political systems

parallel suggests a marked likeness in the development of two things.

the parallel careers of two movie stars

Examples of analogous in a Sentence

… gluons, force particles analogous to the photons of electromagnetism. Andrew Watson, Science, 22 Jan. 1999
… great stretches of algae, analogous to terrestrial woodlands, in which kelp fills the role of trees. William K. Stevens, New York Times, 5 Jan. 1999
… not by means superior to, though analogous with, human reason … Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1859
Recent Examples on the Web At last count, Fox’s Euro deliveries were up 30% compared to the analogous phase of the 2021 tournament, a trend which would seem to bode well for the network’s staging of the 2026 World Cup here in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 28 June 2024 Biden has faced pivotal nights like this before, the most analogous being his March State of the Union. Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 June 2024 Hamas does not pose a threat remotely analogous to that presented by Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan The flaws in his reasoning are several. Eric Levitz, Vox, 3 June 2024 The longer answer: Yes, animated shows do have some analogous production techniques to the live-action bottle episode. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for analogous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'analogous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin analogus "proportionate" (Medieval Latin, "conforming to analogy") + -ous; analogus borrowed from Greek análogos "proportionate, conformable," parasynthetic derivative from anà lógon "proportionately," from aná "up, throughout" + lógon, accusative of lógos "word, speech, relation, correspondence, proportion" — more at ana-, legend

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of analogous was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near analogous

Cite this Entry

“Analogous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogous. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

analogous

adjective
anal·​o·​gous ə-ˈnal-ə-gəs How to pronounce analogous (audio)
1
: showing analogy : similar
the two stories are analogous
2
: related by analogy
analogously adverb
analogousness noun

Medical Definition

analogous

adjective
anal·​o·​gous ə-ˈnal-ə-gəs How to pronounce analogous (audio)
: having similar function but a different structure and origin
analogous organs

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