analogue

1 of 2

noun

an·​a·​logue ˈa-nə-ˌlȯg How to pronounce analogue (audio)
-ˌläg
variants or analog
1
: something that is similar or comparable to something else either in general or in some specific detail : something that is analogous to something else
historical analogues to the current situation
an aspirin analogue
2
: an organ or part similar in function to an organ or part of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin
The gill of a fish is the analogue of the lung of a cat.
3
usually analog : a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but differs slightly in composition (as in the replacement of one atom by an atom of a different element or in the presence of a particular functional group)
4
: a food product made by combining a less expensive food (such as soybeans or whitefish) with additives to give the appearance and taste of a more expensive food (such as beef or crab)

analogue

2 of 2
an·​a·​logue

chiefly British spelling of analog

Did you know?

Analogue is a handy word for something that is similar to something else in design, origin, use, etc., as in “tofu is a meat analogue.” Like its relations analogy and analogous, it traces back ultimately to the Greek word lógos, meaning “word,” “speech,” “relation,” “correspondence,” and “proportion.” Not to get too meta about analogue, but the nouns analogue and analog are themselves analogues (or, ahem, analogs) of one another: they differ only in spelling, though the analogue spelling is more common except in contexts related to chemistry. The pair also function as adjectives—as in “an analog watch” or “analog recording”—but in that case the shorter form is preferred except by those who use British English.

Examples of analogue in a Sentence

Noun a modern analog to what happened before the synthetic analog of a chemical found in a tropical tree a meat analogue such as tofu
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The closest analogue to the current crisis may be another common Icelandic hazard: avalanches. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2024 Proper photo booth snaps are a playful souvenir to remember your trip, and luckily, there’s a vintage analogue photo booth just in front of the bucolic Abbesses Garden. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2023 Starting in 2017, when officials tracked a steep spike in the percentage of cases containing fentanyl or its analogues, 85 percent of all deaths due to opioid use were among Black Washingtonians, data shows. Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024 Then, a snippet which pictured JT from behind the stage curtain, thanking an audience over the sound of an old school analogue drum machine and lo-fi organ, lifted from the video’s intro. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Jan. 2024 But state and local governments are bound to follow the directives of the First Amendment and its analogues under state constitutions. Douglas S. Lavine, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2024 His closest analogues in children’s media are not other parents, but the fools and tricksters that children encounter when they are allowed to roam unsupervised. Amanda Hess, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023 Meanwhile, scientists at Novo Nordisk developed their own GLP-1 analogue and, in 2010, released a once-daily injection called liraglutide, or Victoza, for Type 2 diabetes. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2023 Since the advent of statehood 75 years ago, the closest analogue involving mass captivity might be Entebbe — shorthand for the 1976 hijacking that ultimately led to 103 captives being rescued in Uganda by an Israeli commando squad. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'analogue.' 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

Noun

borrowed from French, borrowed from Greek análogon "proportion, correspondence," noun derivative from neuter of análogos "proportionate, analogous"

First Known Use

Noun

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of analogue was in 1804

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Dictionary Entries Near analogue

Cite this Entry

“Analogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogue. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

analogue

noun
an·​a·​logue
variants or analog
ˈan-ᵊl-ˌȯg,
-ˌäg
1
: something that is analogous to something else
2
: an organ or part similar in function to an organ or part of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin
3
: of or relating to an analog computer
4
: being a clock or watch that has hour and minute hands

Medical Definition

analogue

noun
an·​a·​logue
variants or analog
1
: something that is analogous or similar to something else
2
: an organ similar in function to an organ of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin
3
usually analog : a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but differs slightly in composition (as in the replacement of one atom by an atom of a different element or in the presence of a particular functional group)

More from Merriam-Webster on analogue

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